The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Adedamola Daramola

  • Subsidy removal protest: ‘victim died of haemorrhage’

    Subsidy removal protest: ‘victim died of haemorrhage’

    Lagos High Court, Igbosere, Lagos, heard yesterday that a victim of the 2012 anti-fuel subsidy removal protest, Adedamola Daramola, died from excessive bleeding caused by severe damage to his blood vessel after he sustained a missile injury.

    Prosecution witness, Prof. John Obafunwa, a consultant pathologist, told Justice Olabisi Akinlade that though no bullet was found on the deceased during autopsy, two holes that pierced through his right thigh were evidence that something forceful hit him.

    Obafunwa was being led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Mrs. Olabisi Ogungbesan, in the trial of a former Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Segun Fabunmi, for the deceased’s murder on January 9, 2012.

    In his evidence-in-chief, Obafunwa told the court that autopsy was conducted on Daramola on January 11 between 9.30am and 1.14pm.

    “Being a gunshot victim, the body was first x-rayed for external objects, such as bullets, but there was none on him. Apart from the bruises on the victim’s face and back, two holes were observed on his right thigh.

    “The holes are entry and exit points. The hole at the rear part of the thigh is smaller than the one in front,” said Obafunwa.

    The pathologist said the holes could be described as “a missile injury, which means anything projected with force or velocity and it can be bullet, arrows or shrapnel.

    “The death of the victim can be attributed to severe bleeding and damage to the major blood vessel of the right thigh, sequel to a missile injury involving the right thigh.”

    But counsel to the defendant, George Oguntade (SAN), during a cross-examination, averred that the witness only likened the injury to missile injury and did not say it was caused by a gun.

    Oguntade put it to Obafunwa that Daramola would have lived if he had received prompt medical attention.

    The prosecutor sought an adjournment to enable her call on the last prosecution witness.

    Justice Akinlade granted the request and adjourned the matter till July 11.

  • DCO shot at us while we ran, says witness

    A Lagos High Court, Igbosere heard yesterday how a dismissed Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), Segun Fabunmi, charged with murder, shot at a crowd while people ran during the January 2012 fuel subsidy removal protest.

    Led in evidence by the state Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs. Olabisi Ogungbesan, a witness, Chizoba Udoh, told Justice Olabisi Akinlade that he was reading a newspaper at Maternity Junction, Yaya Abatan Street, Ogba, Lagos on January 9, 2012, when a police van arrived.

    “Suddenly a policeman got off from the van and shot in the air. I immediately crossed the road.

    “Another policeman, who was not in uniform, collected the gun from him and shot at the crowd at the Maternity Junction, while we ran.

    “It was while we were running that Adedamola Daramola was killed. Three others and myself sustained bullet injuries,” he said.

    Another witness, Moses Daramola, who said the deceased was his brother, told the court that he was in his home at Ogba when he heard gunshots from Yaya Abatan Street, Ogba.

    “When I got to the scene, people told me that my brother had been shot and taken to General Hospital, Ifako Ijaye.

    “I got to the hospital and found out that my brother is dead. I cried and was taken back home, while his body was taken to the mortuary,” he said.

    Fabunmi was arraigned on May 5 last year for murder and attempted murder. He pleaded not guilty.

    He was accused of killing Adedamola Daramola and injuring Alimi Abubakar, Egbujor Samuel and Chizorba Odoh.

    The defendant was admitted to bail on health grounds.

    At the resumed hearing, the prosecuting counsel informed the court of an additional proof of evidence and prayed that she should be allowed to call the witness.

    But the defence counsel, George Oguntade (SAN), objected, saying he had not been served the additional proof and therefore the witness could not be called.

    Following the objection, Justice Akinlade told the prosecuting counsel to call other witnesses listed on the first proof of evidence, in order not to waste time.

    During cross examination, the defence counsel argued that the hospital the deceased was taken to was not in operation that day due to the strike.

    Justice Akinlade, after listening to both counsel, adjourned till March 19 for continuation of trial.

     

  • Witness absence stalls killer DPO’s trial

    The trial of a former Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Segun Fabunmi, accused of murder and attempted murder during the 2012 fuel subsidy removal protest, was on Monday stalled following the failure of the prosecution to produce witness in court.
    Prosecuting officer, Mrs. Olabisi Ogungbesan, at the resumed trial of the matter before Justice Olabisi Akinlade of a Lagos High Court, Igbosere, prayed the court to stand down the case pending the arrival of a witness, an IPO, Sunday, whom she claimed was testifying at a Magistrates’ Court in Ikeja.
    But after the matter was recalled, the IPO was still not in court and Ogungbesan apologised for his absence.
    Angered by the prosecution’s response, Justice Akinlade queried the prosecution for bringing in witnesses in piecemeal.
    “Is this IPO your only witness? Where are the balistician and the pathologist?
    “Why bring witnesses in piece? I have given you a whole day and you have not come to court with a witness.
    “The same thing happened at the last trial date. I thought you are ready to deal with this case expeditiously,” said Akinlade.
    Continuing, the judge said: “It is a big insult for the High Court to wait for a witness who had gone to testify in a case at a Magistrates’ Court.
    “I cannot continue wasting my dates because I expect you to bring two or more witnesses to court.”
    In his reaction to the prosecution’s prayer, counsel to the defendant, George Oguntade (SAN), urged the court to adjourn the matter to the next fixed date, since no one was certain of the time the witness will come.
    Akinlade, who warned that she would not tolerate such excuses from the prosecution, adjourned the case to February 18.
    A former DPO of Pen Cinema police station, Agege, Fabunmi was charged to court on May 5, 2013 for murder and attempted murder.
    He was accused of shooting to death one Adedamola Daramola, during the protests and causing grievous bodily harm on Alimi Abubakar, Egbujor Samuel and Chizorba Odoh all on January 9, 2012.

  • Subsidy protest: Dismissed DPO arraigned for murder

    Lagos State government on Wednesday arraigned the dismissed Divisional Police Officer of Yaya-Abatan Police Station, Segun Fabunmi, at the state High Court, Ikeja, over an alleged murder of Adedamola Daramola during last year’s subsidy protest in the state.

    Fabunmi was arraigned before Justice Olabisi Akinlade on a seven- count charge of murder, attempted murder and wounding of some protesters during protests against the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.

    The state Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs. Olabisi Ogungbesan, alleged that Fabunmi committed the offences at about 9.30am on January 9, 2012 at Yaya-Abatan, Agege, Lagos.

    Ogungbesan told the court that Fabunmi allegedly murdered Daramola, attempted to murder and also caused bodily harm to three others by shooting at them with his AK 47 rifle.

    The DPP listed those who the defendant allegedly attempted to kill and inflicted grievous bodily harm on to include Alimi Abubakar, Egbujor Samuel and Chizorba Odoh by separately and at different times shooting at them with his gun.

    According to the DPP, Fabunmi allegedly shot Abubakar and Samuel on their left legs while Odoh was shot on his right index finger.

    The alleged offence, the DPP said contravenes Section 221 of the Criminal Law, No. 11, 2011, while the offences of attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm were said to, respectively, contravene sections 228 and 243 of the same law.