The Police in Lagos have debunked claims by the leaders of Okunraye Community in Ibeju-Lekki, alleging that the police killed the Lekki Free Trade Zone Managing Director, Tajudeen Disu.
In an affidavit in support of a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed at a Lagos High Court, on Tuesday, the community said that it had no hand in Mr. Disu’s death.
Surajudeen Salami, who deposed to the affidavit on behalf of the community, said government forced them out of their homes as well as deprived them of their means of livelihoods – farming and fishing.
He said it was a stray bullet from the police that killed Disu.
The Lagos State Police Command’s spokesman, Joseph Offor, however, condemned the allegation, describing the claims as cheap blackmail and diversionary.
The reports making the rounds has it that stray bullet from the police killed Disu on Oct. 12.
“They are not serious, who inflicted machete injury on retired Col. Usman, the Chief Security Officer of Dangote Refinery? Was it the police that inflicted the injury on him?
“Their allegation is diversionary, it’s a cheap blackmail.
“Is it the police that asked the villagers to gang up in their numbers to stage a violent protest? Is it the police that asked them to come from their homes with charms and ammunition?
“All those things they are trying to say is simply a cheap blackmail and diversionary.
“It is not true and investigation is still ongoing. When the autopsy is conducted, we will get to know how he died,” he told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone.
“They should own up because before they left their various homes that morning, all of them were armed to the teeth to do exactly what happened that day which is to kill and maim.
“The Police cannot join issues with them on that kind of cheap blackmail,” he concluded.
Mr. Disu died of gunshot wounds he suffered when gunmen attacked him during a peace mission to one of the communities in the Free Trade Zone Area in Ibeju-Lekki.
