The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Subsidy protest

  • Subsidy protest: ex-DPO fired 10 shots, witness tells court

    Subsidy protest: ex-DPO fired 10 shots, witness tells court

    A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of a dismissed Divisional Police Officer (DPO), accused of murder during the anti-fuel subsidy removal protest has said the policeman fired 10 shots from his AK-47 rifle.

    Giving evidence before Justice Olabisi Akinlade of a Lagos High Court, Igbosere, the witness, Inspector Olumide Alagbe told the court that the rifle used by Segun Fabunmi was loaded with 60 rounds.

    Led in evidence by Prosecuting Olabisi Ogungbesan, Alagbe said he was in his office on January 9, 2012, when he was told of the alleged murder of one Adedamola Daramola by a police officer.

    “I and my team proceeded to the commissioner’s office where we retrieved the body of the deceased after which the complainants and the witnesses voluntarily made statements.

    “We also went to the crime scene (Yaya Abatan) and conducted investigations where we discovered that 10 shots were allegedly fired from the defendant’s AK-47 rifle,” he said.

    He added that the defendant was subsequently arrested and statements were voluntarily obtained from him.

    Another witness, Tanimu Jeremiah (ASP), who is a ballistician with the Nigeria Police Force also said that a 7.62 calibre AK-47 rifle with ID number 526309 was brought to his office for examination.

    “The rifle was brought with 50 rounds of ammunition and from my investigation, I discovered that the rifle had just been used,” he said.

    According to him, the rifle which is a lethal weapon comprised two magazines having 30 rounds each.

    “It has a safety for when it’s not in use and three stages before been fired,” he added.

    During cross examination, defence counsel, George Oguntade (SAN), claimed during cross examination that the ballistician’s investigation could not have proven the source of the rifle.

    Justice Akinlade after listening to both counsel, adjourned the case to June 2, for continuation of trial.

  • Subsidy protest: DPO shot at crowd – Witness

    A Lagos High Court, Igbosere, on Tuesday heard how a dismissed Divisional Police Officer, Segun Fabunmi, charged with murder shot at a fleeing crowd during the January 2012 fuel subsidy subsidy.

    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 newspaper at Maternity Junction, Yahaya Abatan, Ogba on January 9, 2012, when a police van arrived.

    “Suddenly a policeman got down from the van and started shooting in the air and I immediately crossed the road.

    “Another policeman who was not in uniform then collected the gun from him and shot at the crowd gathered at the junction while we ran.

    “It was while we were running that one Adedamola Daramola was killed, while myself with three others sustained bullet wounds,” he said.

    Another witness, Moses Daramola, who claimed that the deceased was like a brother to him, told the court that he was in his house at Ogba when he heard gunshots coming from Yahaya Abatan.

    “When I got to the scene, people started telling 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 was dead. I cried and was taken back home while his corpse was taken to the mortuary,” he said.

    Fabunmi was arraigned on May 5, 2013 for murder and attempted murder, to which he pleaded not guilty.

    He was accused of shooting to death Daramola during the protests and causing grievous bodily harm on Alimi Abubakar, Egbujor Samuel and Chizorba Odoh during the protests against fuel subsidy removal.

    The defendant was later admitted to bail on health grounds.

     

  • Subsidy protest: How the dismissed DPO shot Daramola – Witnesses

    Subsidy protest: How the dismissed DPO shot Daramola – Witnesses

    A Lagos High Court, Ikeja, has been told that the dismissed Divisional Police Officer, Pen Cinema Police Station, Agege, Segun Fabunmi , shot at Adedamola Daramola and some fuel subsidy protesters on January 9, 2012 at Yaya Abatan in Ogba.

    At the resumed trial of the DPO on Tuesday, two prosecution witnesses, Adekunle Alabi and Alimi Abubakar accused Fabunmi of allegedly shooting at some fuel subsidy protesters.

    The witnesses made the allegation while testifying before the court presided by Justice Olabisi Akinlade.

    Led in evidence by Mrs. Olabisi Ogungbesan, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Lagos State, Abubakar told the court how the incident happened.

    The witness recalled that himself and some other persons were reading newspapers at Yaya Abatan Junction, Agege, when the policemen arrived in two patrol vehicles.

    Abubakar said that when the team which was led by the defendant arrived at about 8am, one of the officers started shooting in the air and towards the ground to scare people away.

    He said that Fabunmi, seeing this, moved to the officer and snatched the gun from him.

    The witness alleged that the defendant started shooting at the people, including the deceased at the junction.

    He said: “I can’t tell how many times he fired but I was hit by a bullet on my leg.

    “Daramola was standing by my side and the bullet also injured him. He ran towards Abeokuta Street while I ran into a nearby mosque.”

    Abubakar also claimed that from his hiding place in the mosque, he saw Fabunmi chasing Daramola and some other persons towards Abeokuta Street.

    The witness, however, admitted that he did not see the DPO shooting Daramola because he was in hiding.

  • Subsidy protest: Court orders Police to pay N4m to four victims shot by DPO

    Subsidy protest: Court orders Police to pay N4m to four victims shot by DPO

    Justice Bola Okikiolu-Ighile of Lagos High Court, Ikeja on Friday ordered the Nigerian Police to pay the sum of N4 million as compensation to four participants in the January 2012 protest against the Federal Government’s removal of fuel subsidy.

    The four protesters were shot by former Divisional Police Officer of Pen Cinema Police Station, Agege, Lagos, Mr. Segun Fabunmi, during the protest.

    The applicants are Egbuzor Samuel (24), Alimi Abubakar (41), Joy Monday (21) and Chibuzo Udo (28).

    They were said to have been injured with gunshots while another protester, Adedamola Daramola, died instantly.

    In a judgment delivered at the High court, Okikiolu-Ighile held the police and Fabunmi responsible and liable for “recklessly shooting and for inflicting bodily injury” on the applicants.

    She also ordered the police to apologise to the applicants in The Punch newspaper and any other national daily.

    Fabumi allegedly shot at the protesters at about 9.30 am on January 9, 2012 at Yaya-Abatan Junction, Agege, Lagos, during the protest.

    The suit dated March 13, 2012, was instituted on behalf of the four applicants by the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender.

    Justice Okikiolu-Ighile held in her judgment that the shooting violated the applicants’ constitutional rights to freedom of movement and human dignity.

    The court, however, exonerated the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, who was joined as a respondent.

    According to the judge, the first and second defendants (the Police and Fabunmi) “wilfully and deliberately refused to participate in the proceedings” thereby rendering all the allegations of the applicants against them unchallenged.

    “In the absence of any counter-affidavit or any opposition, the court is bound to evaluate the facts placed before it and determine the case based on the available facts,” Okikiolu-Ighile said.

    The trial judge pointed out that the medical reports obtained by the applicants linked the injuries on them to gunshot.

    She said: “I hereby declare that the first and second respondents recklessly and maliciously shot at the applicants, inflicting bodily injury in violation of their right to life, right to freedom of movement and right to human dignity.

    “It is hereby ordered that the first and second respondents offer apology to the applicants in The Punch newspaper and one other national newspaper.

    “It is ordered that the first and second respondents, jointly and severally, should pay the sum of N1 million to each of the first, second, third and fourth applicants for the psychological trauma and bodily injury caused them by the acts of the first and second respondents.”

    In another development on Friday, Fabunmi, who is facing separate criminal trial arising from the incident, asked Justice Olabisi Akinlade of the same Lagos High Court, for bail.

    Justice Akinlade, after hearing the bail application, fixed July 4 for ruling.

  • Fuel subsidy: Court orders police to pay N4m to four protesters

    Justice Bola Bola Okikiolu-Ighile of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja on Friday ordered the Nigerian Police to pay the sum of N4 million as compensation to four fuel subsidy protesters.

    The four protesters were shot by the former Divisional Police Officer of Pen Cinema Police Station, Agege, Lagos, Mr. Segun Fabunmi, during last year’s protest against fuel subsidy removal.

    The applicants are Egbuzor Samuel (24), Alimi Abubakar (41), Joy Monday (21) and Chibuzo Udo (28).

    They were reportedly injured while one other protester, Adedamola Daramola, died in the incident.

    In a judgment delivered at the court, Okikiolu-Ighile held the police and Fabunmi liable for the “reckless shooting and for inflicting bodily injury” on the applicants.

    She also ordered the police to apologise to the applicants in the Punch Newspaper and any other national daily.

    Fabumi, allegedly shot at the protesters at about 9.30am on January 9, 2012 in Yaya-Abatan Junction, Agege, Lagos, during the protest.

    The suit dated March 13, 2012, was instituted on behalf of the four applicants by the Lagos State Office of Public Defender.

    The judge held in her ruling that the shooting violated the applicants’ constitutional rights to freedom of movement and human dignity.

    She, however, exonerated the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, who was joined as a respondent.

     

  • Subsidy protest: FG seeks dismissal of suits

    Subsidy protest: FG seeks dismissal of suits

    The Federal Government has asked a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, to dismiss a suit filed by Prof. Ben Nwabueze and Dr. Tunji Braithewaite, over alleged disruption of fuel subsidy protest in January 2012.

    The government made the request on Thursday in two separate applications filed against the suit by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke and the Nigerian Army.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the suit was filed by Nwabueze and Braithewaite– alongside 42 others– before Justice Yetunde Idowu on February 1, 2012.

    The applicants had alleged that security operatives had used tear gas to disperse their protests against the removal of fuel subsidy at Alausa, Ikeja on January 19, 2012.

    They had asked the court to declare the action as unconstitutional and an infringement on their fundamental human rights as guaranteed by Section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution.

    They had further asked the court to order the Federal Government to pay each of them N10 million for infringing on their fundamental human rights.

    During Thursday’s proceedings, Counsel to the Chief of Army Staff and the Nigerian Army, Mr. Musa Ibrahim, urged the court to dismiss the suit.

    Ibrahim said the applicants’ claim of their right to protest was not supported by the Nigerian Constitution.

     

  • 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.