The bullets reportedly pierced through the thigh of the man and shattered his scrotums.
PUNCH Metro learnt that four policemen in company with some civilians had stormed Ajetiti Market in Aminkanle, Alagbado, Lagos State, looking for the market leader, Akeem Lade.
Lade, aka Otunba, is a stepbrother of the deceased.
The killer cops, who were led by one Inspector Amaechi Augustine, reportedly went to Lade’s office in the market, but did not meet him.
They were said to have shot indiscriminately during which Adisa, who was with a fruit seller in the market, was hit.
Our correspondent gathered that the Abeokuta, Ogun State indigene was being rushed to the Orile Agege General Hospital when he gave up the ghost.
A woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident happened around 2.30pm last Tuesday.
She said, “Everybody ran helter-skelter. People fell into drainage channels and got injured. The man (Adisa) was a very quiet person and he used to sit sat at the fruit seller’s shop.
“It was God that saved pupils returning from school on that day. It was very serious. The policemen fled the scene when they discovered the man had been hit by their bullets.”
The fruit seller, Salisu Rabiu, told PUNCH Metro that he and his brother narrowly escaped death.
He said, “My brother, the man (Adisa) and I were sitting on a bench that afternoon. My brother sat by my right side while the man was on the other side. The policemen came in a Toyota Sienna. We initially thought they trailed armed robbers to the community, but we later learnt they were looking for Otunba.
“When they did not find him, they stood at a junction and started shooting in our direction. I pushed my brother and also bent to dodge the bullets, which hit Adisa in the thigh. He fell and blood was gushing out.”
The community youth leader, Mr. Rasaq Adegoke, said the policemen, in their statements, claimed to have come to the community for a land matter.
He said, “I just came back from a meeting when some boys approached me. They said some policemen seized motorcycles of two riders. I followed them to the market junction to know where the policemen came from. As we got there, the policemen started firing at us.
“I called the Divisional Police Officer, Alagbado Police Division, and the Area M Commander. Before the DPO arrived with his men, the policemen had shot Adisa and fled. The DPO, his team and some boys chased them. They were four in number; three were arrested. The other escaped on a motorcycle, but he was later arrested.
“They were taken to the Area M Police Command to make statements. From there, they were taken to the state police command headquarters in Ikeja, and subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba. They said it was one Peter that sent them to the community over a land matter.”
The stepbrother of the deceased, Lade, alleged that the cops had wanted to kill him, noting that Adisa’s murder was deliberate. He added that he did not have any misunderstanding with anyone.
He said, “I got a call from a trader on that day that some policemen, led by one Peter, barged into my office and that there were shootings.
“I was at Abeokuta that day. A few minutes after I received that call, another call came in and I was told that my brother, Samsudeen (Adisa), had been shot. I informed the DPO on the telephone.
“I left Abeokuta to meet them at Olive Faith Hospital, where he was rushed to. The hospital gave him first aid and referred him to the general hospital. He died on the way.
“Why did they kill my brother among all the people in the market?
“Definitely, they came to eliminate me. Somebody must have pointed my brother to them. If not for the DPO, they would have escaped. My life is at stake now.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, said the policemen and three civilians had been taken into custody, while the corpse of the deceased had been deposited in a mortuary for autopsy.
“An inspector and three other policemen have been arrested.
“They will face disciplinary action as regards what they went to do there (at the market) and the killing of that man,” he added.
Punch Report
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