Operatives of the Ogun State Police Command have arrested eight suspects over the killing of a police inspector at Imasayi in the Yewa North Local Government Area (L.G.A.) of the state.

Flavision gathered that there was a violent confrontation on Sunday, March 15th, 2020 in the border community between residents of the community and officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, during which the inspector died.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Ogun State, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the ugly incident on Sunday, said eight suspects had been arrested in connection with the killing of the police officer.

He said that the deceased officer was a member of the National Border Team, which was tasked with a routine anti-smuggling operation in the area.

Oyeyemi stated,

The suspects killed one policeman, who was attached to the National Border Team. They seized his gun, hit him with a car and then shot him dead.

Some suspects have been arrested in connection with the crime and the inspector’s rifle has been recovered.

Presently, the case is being handled by the homicide section of the command.

We have arrested eight suspects and they have been transferred to the homicide section of the state police command, Eleweran, Abeokuta.

Our reporters gathered that numerous residents of the town had fled their homes and had resorted to hiding in the bush.

Reports also say that some had locked up themselves inside their homes, to avoid arrest and reprisal attacks by security agents, due the inspector’s murder.

But, the police PRO said that normalcy had returned in the border town.

He stated,

We are still looking for members of that syndicate and we are not going to rest on our laurels until the last person, who participated in that nefarious activity, is apprehended.

Those who did it have invited trouble and they will see the trouble. It is barbaric to launch an attack on law enforcement agents, who are doing their normal duty.

We will do everything humanly possible to get them punished. They are criminals.

Meanwhile, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has called on the law enforcement agents in the state to show restraint in their use of firearms.

Abiodun said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin, on Sunday, March 15th that he had intervened in the unrest in Imasayi.

The statement added that the governor had been in contact with the relevant authorities, including the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Army.

He added that discussions were ongoing to arrest the killers of the police inspector in the clash and fled with his rifle.

The statement added,

A manhunt has therefore been launched for the suspects, who also made away with the slain officer’s weapon.

Already, the manhunt as of this morning (Sunday) had yielded result with the retrieval of the said stolen rifle, but the search to discover and arrest the culprits continues under the strict directive of the governor.

Fortunately, the suspects already arrested in connection with this criminal act are giving useful information that will lead to the arrest of the main suspect.

Governor Abiodun pleaded with the officers to be humane in the discharge of their duties.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.