By Dayo Johnson
Akure—POLICE authorities in Ondo State weekend said the deceased son of the immediate past Chief Registrar of the state Judiciary Damilola Agbede, was a notorious criminal that had been on their wanted list over criminal activities in the state.

A statement issued by the Police Public Relation Officer, PPRO,  Adeniran Aremu, faulted the allegation that Damilola was a victim of extra judicial killing.

According to the statement: “The command wishes to categorically state that her state Anti Robbery Squad SARS men did not do anything that can be likened to extra judicial killing resulting to the death of a notorious armed robber, Damilola Agbede.

The said armed robber who was on the wanted list of the command engaged police in a shoot out at Ijapo area on September 25, 2010, when police went there on a distress call on the information that Damilola and his gang had invaded the area.

“Prior to this date, the state police command was inundated with several cases of armed robberies and car snatching perpetrated and linked to late Damilola Agbede but had been escaping and evading arrest not only in Ondo state but also in the neighbouring states of Osun, Ekiti and Lagos states.

“The records and evidence abound at these states including ondo state for further verification. On the 23th June the gang attacked one Barrister Atere of Kajola Quarters off Oda Road. The victim and his family were attacked at gun point and one End of Discussion Honda Car with number plate FT 395 LND wine colour, one plasma TV and one Dell Laptop were carted away.

“The Honda Car was later recovered in Osun state after a hot chase by operatives of state Anti Robbery Squad. Investigation revealed that late Damilola Agbede and five others were responsible for the robbery of 23 June as revealed by four members of the gang currently in police net.

The police command gave the names of those arrested and have confessed to the robbery as Kayode Alonge, Tosin Adeleke, Francis Abiola and Femi Olusanya.

Exhibits recovered from them, according to police, included Toyota Corolla salon marked LL 712 AM, Toyota Camry salon car marked BJ 979R BG, one locally made shot gun, two expended cartridges, six live cartridges, Honda Accord salon car marked FT 395 LND and two pieces of pellet removed from the bodies of policemen.

But the family of Damilola in the petition by their Lawyer Mr Segun Kolade alleged that the killing of Damilola was a clear case of extra-judicial killing of innocent Nigerian by men of the Nigeria Police.

Titled “Re-cold blood murder of Damilola Agbede by one of the officers of SARS”, the Family lawyer said the late Damilola was excused from the party only for his corpse to be found later in his car some meters away from the place.

It said “while at the party, the person of Damilola was excused out of the party by one police officer attached to the SARS office under the guise that the presence of Damilola would be needed outside the party venue by other members of the police from SARS who were at the scene fully armed

“That it became the greatest surprise that desire the fact that the person of Damilola was excused and escorted into his car, it was the same car that his lifeless body was found after an hour on that night.”

The family said the incident of extra-judicial killing had been so rampant that the IG must do something about the killing of innocent souls in the country.