By Evelyn Usman
Tragedy struck in Lagos last Monday, after a mobile policeman attached to officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), shot another policeman to death at Ijesha, along Oshodi-Apapa, expressway.

The deceased policeman, identified as Olufemi Ogunleye, according to Crime Guard’s findings, boarded a commercial bus from Gbagada,  close to the police station and was heading to Mile two, from where he intended boarding a bus  to Festac town.

But he never got to his destination as the commercial bus he was in was intercepted by another commercial bus conveying four Mobile Policemen and two officials of LASTMA.

Olufemi Ogunleye

The Mobile policemen, two of whom were armed, reportedly rushed out of their bus and ordered the driver of Ogunleye’s commercial bus to hand them the keys, apparently to confisticate the bus, for violating traffic rules. The driver, as gathered, stopped to pick passengers on the expressway, rather than making use of the service lane.

Trouble brews
As expected, Ogunleye, who was in full police uniform, even though he was later discovered to be a SPY policeman, came down from the bus to intercede for his driver.

But he got the shock of his life when the Mobile policemen, according to eye witnesses, warned him to stay off. Not done with the warning, one of the mobile policemen reportedly fired at the tyres of the bus with plate number XS 933 BDG, thereby deflating them.

Irked by what he apparently took for a disregard for the Force esprit de-corp, Ogunleye, as gathered,  approached the Corporal who fired the shot to complain.  Unfortunately, the Corporal also descended on him, tearing his uniform into shreds. Not done with the battering, the Mobile policeman reportedly shot him on the leg.

Slow death
This time around, the ever- busy area was deserted as people, including motorists fled the route, leaving  Ogunleye writhing in pains in the pool of his own blood. The Mobile policemen and LASTMA officials also reportedly zoomed off, abandoning the SPY policeman who was bleeding profusely from the bullet wound.

Help was far from Ogunleye as sympathizers only gathered around him, without any of them making attempt to rush him to hospital. Crime Guard gathered that a man that made an attempt was discouraged, as some of the on-lookers said he would be arrested by the police and also that the hospital attendants might not attend to him unless he brought a police report.

Ogunleye, reportedly begged with every iota of desperation to be rushed to the hospital. At a point, he could no longer speak as strength failed him, owing to loss of so much blood. When he could no longer hold on, he slumped , with everyone still  watching helplessly and indecisive.

His body remained on the spot until hours later when some policemen came to remove it. His blood was still visible on the scene until the rains came and washed it away. Investigations by Crime Guard revealed that the Mobile policemen and LASTMA officials were from LASTMA head office in Oshodi.

The team, as reliably gathered, was led by a sergeant whose identity was given as Adekunle Babatunde, while the driver of the vehicle who was on mufti was identified simply as Jepata.

Killers yet to be arrested?
Currently, the case is being handled by operatives at the Homicide section of the State Criminal Investigations Department(SCID), Panti, Yaba. But it was reliably gathered that those involved were yet to be arrested. Some members of the bereaved family who stormed Panti, as gathered, have concluded plans to petition the state government and Inspector General of Police.

Widow’s   lamentation
After much trouble, Crime Guard eventually traced Ogunleye’s widow to their one- room apartment in Egbe, a suburb of Lagos, where she was still mourning her husband. Efforts to speak with her failed as she merely stared into space, still finding it difficult to believe that her husband of three years had left her, without saying farewell.

After much persuasion, she managed to recall how he left the house that fateful day, only to get the rudest shock of her life hours later. With a tear- filled eyes and shaky voice, she said, “ he left home that day at about 5am, while I left for my shop where I sew.

At about 1pm, my phone rang and I was asked to rush home. On reaching the house, I was told to  rush to Isolo General Hospital that something had happened to my husband.

On getting there, I started asking the nurses what happened but none of them could give me any reasonable explanation until suddenly a police vehicle drove into the premises, announcing that my husband was shot at Ijesha.

I begged them to allow me see him without knowing he was already dead.

Before my face, he was brought out and taken into the mortuary.” At this point, she broke down afresh.

Her mother who summoned courage to console her, also broke down at a point, describing the late Ogunleye as not only a good son-in-law but a biological son.

Mrs Ogunleye’s mother is not alone in this grief , as the late Ogunleye’s 96-year-old mother was said to have been shaken to the bone marrow on hearing the sad news.
So also is his grandmother said to be over 100 years.

For Mrs Ogunleye, the psychological trauma came to a climax following her husband’s demise.

First it started with a number of miscarriages, until fate smiled her way with the delivery of a set of twins. But the joy was short-lived  as the twins passed on two months ago, leading to her being hospitalized .

Just when she was recovering from the loss of their children, the death of her 42-year-old Ondo state- born husband , who had been by her side all through, worsened the pain.

As this reporter attempted to leave the apartment, the widow wailed: “ Ah! Who did I offend? Where do I begin from? Oh! Why did fate decide to treat a loving man like this? Only last week, he promised he was going to make the money for my shop which has expired available this week, not knowing he would not be alive to fulfil that.

Ah! why me of all people”? She asked, directing her question to no one in particular.