Policeman kills LASU student over bribe

By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Tragedy struck last week in Festac Town in the  Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State when a 100 level Political Science student of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo,  was shot dead by a trigger-happy policeman over alleged refusal to give bribe.

According to reports, it all beagan when the  policeman and his four other colleagues from the Festac Police Station mounted an “illegal” check-point in the area.

The incident was said to have occurred last Wednesday when the deceased, simply identified as Michael Egwu, was returning home from a social outing in the company of a friend who drove a red Toyota Sienna Salon car towards the 52 Road junction of the estate when they were flagged-down by the policemen who allegedly demanded the vehicle’s particulars that were promptly produced.

A witness who identified himself as John Olaleke, said the policemen were not pleased as they further asked that they should be given bribe which the occupants of the car refused, a development  which degenerated into a hot argument.

He recalled, “It was in the midst of counter-arguments that tempers rose, consequent of which was the loud bang of gunshots two times and certain death of Egwu.

“The next we noted was the disappearance of  the policemen including the one that fired the shot.”

He, however, disclosed that he joined other good Samaritans who quickly rushed the badly-injured Benue State-born Egwu to the nearby Ituah Hospital on 511 Road from where he was asked to be transferred to Ikeja General Hospital, “But he died on the way having lost a substantial amount of blood resulting from the gunshot wounds.”