How three policemen killed eight businessmen for money, says the man
Mr Suleiman Badmus, a complainant on the Osun Judicial Commission to investigate police brutality, human rights violations and related extrajudicial executions, on Saturday described how three police officers horribly killed eight travelers for money, Vanguard reported.
He added that the incident took place at the Obeira police checkpoint in the Okene district of Kogi state, adding that three armed policemen killed eight of the car’s 10 passengers, while Badmus and co-copier Muidin Mustafa fled.
His words: “On that fateful day, I hired a bus from Osogbo to Benue, but the driver took eight other passengers with him on the way to Katsina state to buy rams because it was during the Salah holiday.
“But when we got to Obeira, the Okene axis of Kogi state, we met three fully armed policemen along the way. The driver stopped and approached us, but when the agents saw we had a huge amount of money to buy rams, they began to misbehave and asked us to follow them.
“We were deceived by the mistaken policemen, because they told us that we were going to the station, not knowing that they were taking us to the forest. They tied our hands, and one of the passengers who tried to escape was immediately killed.
“They poured gasoline over us to set us on fire. But when they ran after one of us who was trying to escape, it was when I struggled to escape with another passenger. Unfortunately, the rest of the passengers, including the driver, were burned to death.
“When it was reported on the news and the police launched an investigation, I came to check and provide evidence. I helped the police arrest three officers and they were charged.
“The three policemen were Benjamin Oyekhir; Jimo Michael and Gershon Soba. The case was referred to the Lokoji High Court, where they were sentenced to death by hanging.
“Although I did not elaborate on this issue, I later learned that the officers applied to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, where the lower court’s decision was upheld.
“I cannot say whether the three officers, who were sentenced in the end, were sentenced in accordance with the order of the judicial hierarchy. However, I was not too happy with the verdict, because killing them was not fair enough. None of the victims have received compensation since the accident happened 20 years ago. So I asked the jury for compensation, ”he added.
Confirming the testimony, Muidin, the owner of a burned-out Toyota Liteace with registration number Osun XB 104 SGB and the deceased driver’s younger brother, Mr Daouda Ajani, told the group how many times they traveled to Kogi state. in the case to take into account the evidence presented before the jury.
The applicants’ lawyer, lawyer J.O. Babalola, asked the court to award his clients a total of 125 million N.
According to him, 100 million nations were claimed in compensation for the family of the deceased Rafiu Ajani, a bus driver who was burned, stating that the deceased was the only breadwinner in his family and had dependents, including an elderly mother, three wives and five children.
He also asked the commission to award the second applicant, Mr Sulaimon Badmus, who fled from the police, a total of 20 million N. N5million to a certain Mr Mustafa Muidin, the owner of the burnt-out bus.
In deciding the case, the president of the college, Judge Akin Oladimeji (retired), asked the signatory’s lawyer to prepare his closing speech for adoption and updated the case until March 5, 2021.
