By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has petitioned the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosun, over the violent manner a policemen in Lagos State shot at his girlfriend after an argument on choice of what television station to watch.
RULAAC executive director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, who signed the petition, raised the alarm of a cover-up plot of the incident and asked the Lagos police boss to order an impartial and honest investigation.
The victim, Joy Ndubuisi, who was shot at her cheek region by her boyfriend, Sergeant Eze Aiwansobam, a policeman attached to the Special Protection Unit, Ikeja, Lagos on October 5, survived the shooting after some eye witnesses rushed her to a nearby hospital.
The petition reads: “RULAAC writes to bring to the attention of the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Hakeem Odumosun and to call on him to order an impartial and honest
investigation into the alleged unlawful shooting of Joy Ndubuisi by her boyfriend, Sergeant Eze Aiwansobam attached to the Special Protection Unit (SPU), Base 16, beside Area ‘F’ Ikeja, Lagos on the 8th of October, 2020 at the Salvation area of Opebi Lagos.
“Helen Uche Ndubuisi, the victim’s sister, informed RULAC that:
“1. Her sister Joy Ndubuisi was shot by Seargent Eze Aiwansobam over ‘a little misunderstanding’ they had on October 5 arising from a squabble over which television channel to watch. She said Sergeant Eze decided to call off his relationship with Joy following this misunderstanding.
“2. However, on October 8, Sergeant Eze invited Joy again and took her to a drinking bar where they had drinks together before Joy told him she was leaving. As Joy was walking home, Sergeant Eze followed her behind and suddenly she heard the sound of the corking of a gun and by the time she looked back, Sergeant Eze shot her on the mouth and took off.
“3. Sergeant Eze was pursued by passersby who witnessed the shooting and he scaled through a fence leading into an Estate and jumped on top of a waiting motorbike and escaped. The witnesses then came back and took the seriously injured and bleeding Joy to the General Hospital, Ikeja, where she is currently receiving treatment,” the petition said.
According to the petition, the incident was reported at the Area ‘F’, Police Station, Ikeja and the IPO, Inspector Patience visited the victim’s residence on the first day and the next and nothing more happened until 20 days later- on October 20 when Helen received information from someone she described as the ‘boss to Sergeant Eze’ that Eze has been arrested and is currently detained at Area ‘F’, Ikeja.
“Since October 10, a man who claimed to be ‘Pastor to Sergeant Eze’ has been calling her on her sister’s phone number asking her to meet him somewhere and collect the sum of one hundred thousand Naira but she asked the ‘Pastor’ to pay the money into an account she would provide but he insisted on her coming to meet him to collect cash.
“The IPO also called her later and asked her to come and collect the sum of one hundred thousand Naira from the said ‘Pastor’, and she still insisted that the money be paid into her account, which is yet to be done as at the time of writing this petition. The family suspects foul play.
“There is an attempt by Sergeant Eze to change the story and justify his unlawful action by claiming that Joy was dragging his gun with him when the bullet accidentally went off.
“But she said they have eye witnesses who are willing to testify that Sergeant Eze aimed at Joy, shot her and ran away scaling a fence when a crowd pursued him until he jumped on a waiting motorbike and escaped,” the petition reads.
The victim’s sister told RULAAC that an insider told her that the story is being recast to give the impression that her sister was dragging the gun with her boyfriend when he mistakenly shot her.
RULAAC asked the Lagos police boss to ensure that there is no twist or cover up on the case, and ensure that the truth unraveled and appropriate disciplinary and remedial actions taken in the interest of justice.