Crisis rocks Ilesa as drunken police kill siblings
A policeman driving an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), on Sunday, killed two children of same parent in Egbedi area of Ilesa West local government area of Osun state.
The siblings, who died on the spot of the incident, were identified as Sade, five years and Anu, three years. The Daily Times gathered that the deceased were playing in front of their father's house when the vehicle hit an electric pole which fell on them and killed them on the spot, while the policeman drove away.
The father was said to have gone to the farm, only to come and find his children dead.
Some residents alleged that the policeman driving the APC was probably drunk.
It was gathered attempt to run away by the driver of the APC carrier to drive away infuriated residents and commercial motorcyclists to chase him, but were unlucky as the man managed to run away.
"We chase him (the APC driver), but he escaped towards Osu Road and ran away with the car," one of the drivers told our correspondent.
The mob, it was learnt, thereafter unleashed terror on the 'A' Division Police Station at Ayeso.
At the station, they vandalized all the operational vehicles parked in the station, including other valuable property and police quarters inside the station.
"The policemen on duty fired several tear gas canisters and gun shot into the air to scare the mob but to no available. The mob was desperate that they dared the police and their fire power gun and tear gas.
"The police were just looking as they were vandalising the property because any attempt by them would worsen the issue. There was no arrest made during the melee."
An eyewitness said it took pleads of the father of the dead siblings to calm the mob down.
It was gathered that attempt by the father to secure the corpse of the siblings proved abortive.
A resident said, "The father of the kids who were said to have gone to the farm early in the morning returned only to be told of the incident.
"The man went to the police station but could not make any head way in securing the release of the corpse of the kids to him even with the assistance of his lawyer.
"He was seen pleading with the angry mob to remain calm so that the matter could be resolve. He pleaded with the Governor Rauf Aregbesola and other well-meaning Nigerians to come to his rescue by intervening in the matter for justice lamenting the kids are the only children he has."
When contacted on the telephone, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs. Folasade Odoro confirmed the incident but described as an accident.
She explained that "the police officer driving the APC car lost control and hit an electric pole, which eventually electrocuted the kids."
While also describing the incident as unfortunate, Odoro said that "all operational vehicles in the station, private cars and police quarters were vandalized by the angry mob."
She therefore appealed to the residents of Ilesa to remain calm, assuring that the matter would be investigated and the culprits would be brought to book.
http://dailytimes.com.ng/crisis-rocks-ilesa-drunken-police-kill-siblings/
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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