By Evelyn Usman
This is certainly not the best of times for the Ozomaro family, following the death of their son, Jude Ozomaro last Sunday, by a bullet from a police Corporal at Isashi area of Lagos.

30 years old Jude, a commercial bus driver who lived behind Isashi police division, reportedly left his apartment that fateful day at about 5.30am , unaware that it would be the last time he would drive out alive.

At about 6.30pm, the same day,there was an uproar around Ijaniki, with protesting commercial bus drivers seizing the entire road, depriving other road users from plying the route. Their reason? One of their own later identified as Jude, had been shot by a policeman for refusing to part with some money.

Eye witnesses told Crime Guard that the policemen numbering four, were carrying out their routine stop- and -check exercise, when Jude’s commercial bus with plate number XT 930 AGL which plies Volks and Air-port road , was flagged down by the police men.

One of the witnesses who identified himself as Asemota Eghogho said, “ As at the time he stopped , there was no passenger inside the vehicle because he had closed for the day. The door was closed with the bus conductor as the only passenger in front of the bus. The Police men asked the driver to give him N100 but the driver refused, leading to an argument”

Corroborating this claim, the deceased elder brother, David Ozomaro said, he dropped the last passenger at Volks while the conductor who lived in the same vicinity was with him. On their way to Ishashi, they were stopped by the policemen who said they should give them money and my brother asked what for?, explaining that he had closed for the day and that he had no money to part with.

But one of the policemen asked his colleague to enter the vehicle and drive it to the station, directing him to also deflate the tyres . That was where the argument started.

At that point , my brother asked his conductor to enter into the bus and he shut the door. But the next thing the conductor heard was a gun shot from behind. It shattered the back windscreen and pierced the driver’s seat right into his chest. The bus came to an abrupt stop.

This drew the attention of other people who started rioting , to ensure that they did not take the body away”

At first, eye witnesses said the police claimed the driver, who was the sixth child of his family was a robber who was fleeing from the scene.

Another death in the family

Crime guard investigation revealed that it was not the first time death is vising the Ozomaros. The first tragedy that befell the family who hail from Esoko North of Delta state occurred on November 14, 2000, following the death of Mrs Victoria Ozomaro , who was a Chief Accountant at the Nigeria Railway Corporation.

Just when the family was smarting from the loss of the their wife and mother, death came calling in April 2001, and snatched the bread winner of the home, Mr Ozomaro himself. The late Mr Ozomaro, was a retired Military officer who served last at Esoko North local Government Area of Delta state.

That was nine years ago, until this tragedy occurred, no thanks to the trigger- happy killer cop. Jude had been working as a commercial bus driver since 2004.

Describing his Secondary School Certificate holder late brother as a level- headed fellow, spokesman for the family, Mr David Ozomaro, said, “ my brother was an easy going fellow. He was gentle and level headed. He was never a trouble maker”.

We want justice

Continuing, David stated, “ all we want is justice. Even though we know our brother can not wake up from death. But we are appealing for justice. So far, we have visited the Lagos state Commissioner of Police and to be fair to him, he was angry at the deed and promised us he would not sweep the issue under the carpet. We believed him and are looking forward to justice taking its course as it would serve as a deterrent to others”.

Meanwhile, Crime Guard reliably gathered that the killer -cop had been arrested. Also arrested, were three other policemen who were on the spot. The visibly angry CP, Mr Marvel Akpoyibo was said to have ordered the immediate arrest of the policemen and their transfer to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti Yaba, where they were as at Thursday , still been interrogated.

Police sources disclosed that the CP had ordered for their immediate dismissal from the force if found culpable and thereafter be charged with murder. The CP, as gathered, also assured that journalists would be invited when their trial starts adding that the command would not in any way condone any act of reckless shooting by policemen.