Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has accused Police Commissioner Abdullahi Chafe of shielding a Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) officer who allegedly killed two persons at Ayetoro-Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area.
The dead – Emmanuel Owaremi and Titilayo Omotoso – as well as the third victim, Bukola Aboko, lost her five months pregnancy in the accident and also sustained bodily injury.
Families of the victims protested to the governor yesterday at the Government’s House in Ado-Ekiti.
Residents of the community claimed that the police rescued the Customs officer and a lady he carried in his car and released them without charging them to court for the killings.
The aggrieved residents stormed the police station and demanded the re-arrest and prosecution of the Customs officer.
But the protesters were arrested and prosecuted for allegd breach of public peace.
A spokesman for the two families, Adeola Abiodun, accused the police of refusing to release the bodies of the victims.
He said police authorities told the protesters to back down before the bodies would be released for burial.
Abiodun said: “We were made to write the letter under duress and we had no choice because we were constantly harassed by the police.”
Addressing reporters after the protest, Fayose condemned the alleged police cover-up.
The governor said the weighty allegations against the police would not be swept under the carpet.
Hesaid: “I am saddened by this development. Those who are supposed to be protecting us shouldn’t be oppressing us.
“When people face this kind of trauma, this kind of sad experience: the killing of their breadwinners, husbands and for any reason, a right-thinking person should not cover it up. We must stand up against this. These people must get justice.
“A man killed two of their relations, rather than charge the suspect to court, the police charged the family of the deceased to court. I want to assure Ekiti people that we will get to the root of this matter.
“For anyone trying to cover this up, that would only be for a very short time. You can see the young lady, who was also hit by the car.
“She was pregnant and the foetus has to be evacuated to save her life. So, for the police to release the suspect who owns the car is unacceptable.
“I have summoned the Commissioner of Police, but I am not satisfied with what he said…”