Dismissed Cop Jailed Seven Years For killing Lagos Resident

September 24, 2020.

• Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, of the Lagos State Special Offences Court, on Wednesday, sentenced a dismissed policeman, Ologunowa Ojo, to seven years’ imprisonment for killing one Taiye Akande.

Mr Ojo, who was according to report guarding Frajend Investments Nigeria Limited, had on February 3, 2016, around 7pm, shot Akande around Shapati, in the Ajah area of the state.
The firm was dealing in motorcycles.

Akande was said to have argued with the police sergeant for allegedly sitting on the company’s fence.

The policeman then shot him in the buttocks and he was rushed to the Akodo General Hospital, where he died.

According to Punch Newspaper, the police authorities immediately subjected the cop to orderly room trial, leading to his dismissal from the force.

Mr Ojo, revealed he did not have any intention to kill the victim, and that he only wanted to scare him.

In his words, “I was on duty that day and the owner of the building had instructed that he did not want anybody to sit on his fence.

“I got into an argument with some residents, and as a security man, I brought out my gun to scare them off. But one of them (Akande), engaged me in a fight and started dragging the gun with me. Suddenly, the gun discharged and hit him in the buttocks.”

Delivering her judgment on Wednesday, Justice Taiwo held that there had been many incidents of extrajudicial killing by the police under the pretext of accidental discharge, and that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to errant officers of the law.

Read Also: APC Seeks Transfer Of Cases To Another Judge

She found Ojo guilty of manslaughter and sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment.

Justice Taiwo, statement reads as thus; “The defendant acted with gross negligence and recklessness without regard for human life. The defendant, Ologunowa Ojo, is hereby sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment in accordance with Section 315 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2015.

“I will take into consideration the time he has spent in prison custody, which is a year and three months; the time spent in custody will be deducted from the sentence. This is the judgment of the court.”