The trial of a police officer accused of killing a young man and injuring several others during the January 2012 fuel subsidy protest commenced today in a high court in Lagos. The accused is Segun Fabunmi, a chief superintendent of police (CSP).
Mr. Ogunsade one of the defence counsel asked the court for variation of bail conditions for his client, but the judge refused.
Justice Olasibi Akinlade had put a bail bond of N250 million and had also ordered that the accused should provide two sureties who must have landed properties in Lagos worth N100 million.
The first of two witnesses one Mr. Adekunle Alabi testified that he and friends where playing football in front of his house at Ogba, Lagos State, when the policemen swooped in with two heavy armoured vand and started shooting.
“We all ran. I ran into our building and was peeping. I saw the defendant shooting,” said the Mr. Alabi who added that he later picked up a stray bullet and handed it to the Baale (traditional ruler) in the area.
The second witness, Mr. Alimi Abubakar, corroborated the testimony, telling the court that he sustained a bullet wound to his leg from CSP Fabunmi’s sporadic shooting at the Yahaya Abatan junction in Ogba.
The second witness said he was at a vendor’s stand reading a newspaper when the police officer started shooting. He testified that he saw Mr. Fabunmi chase some people into Abeokuta Street where he kept shooting after already hitting down some victims at the junction.
The second witness said a bullet hit his leg at the same time a bullet also hit the late Ademola Abbey. He told the court that the accused chased Mr. Abbey to Abeokuta Street and shot him again, after first wounding the deceased at the Yahaya Abatan junction.
The two witnesses emphasized that the killer cop, who has since been dismissed from service, took the gun from another police officer who initially was shooting into the air and ground, and then fired gunshots at people as they ran in different directions.
Justice Akinlade adjourned the case to October 25 when more witnesses are expected to testify.
