Why Driver, Passenger Shot by Lagos Policeman (PHOTOS)

A 32-year-old
dismissed
police corporal, Mr. Nelson Bassey, has been
arrested and charged to court for allegedly
shooting a driver, Andrew Okoh and a passenger,
Isaac Adesina, for failing to give him bribe.
He claimed that the victims (in the photo Below)
were armed robbers, whereas they were innocent
driver and his passenger.
The trial of Bassey (in the photo below) began on
January 6, 2014, Monday, at the Lagos Magistrate's
Court sitting in Ejigbo, Lagos State.
He claimed that they were armed robbers trying to
escape in a commuter bus with registration
number XU 195 AKD.
The incident happened at
Car Wash area along
Egbeda-Idimu Road,
Idimu, Lagos.
Bassey was serving at
Gowon Estate Police
Division when the incident
happened.
The shooting led to
protest by residents of the area who insisted that
the victims were not robbers and were well known
in Idimu area where the incident happened.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar
Manko ordered an investigation of the incident
after which the victims were found innocent.
Bassey was immediately dismissed from the
Nigeria Police for unjustly shooting the victims.
He was consequently arrested and charged before
the court with assault and inflicting injury on the
victims under the Criminal Code.
During the trial, Okoh told the court that Bassy
shot their legs with an AK47 rifle after they
explained to the police patrol team that demanded
for a bribe that they had no money to bribe them.
Okoh informed the court that he was the driver of
the bus and Adesina was among the passengers in
the bus when Bassey shot them.
He narrated that they were not robbers but were in
a traffic jam which made them get to their Idimu
home late.
He said that on their way
home, a team of Rapid
Response Squad, RSS,
policemen stopped them
and demanded for a bribe.
Okoh explained that after
politely telling them that
they had no money on
them, "the next thing we
saw was Corporal Bassey
pointing his AK 47 rifle at us and opening fire on
our legs, claiming that we were suspected robbers
and that we were trying to escape."
While testifying in the court, Adesina told the court
that he boarded the bus as a passenger and was
going home late because of traffic jam.
He said that he was in front and sat beside the
driver when the incident happened.
He recalled that when Bassey accosted the driver,
he just shot them in the leg.
Adesina said since the incident happened, they
have been in the hospital and cannot walk properly
again.
The case has been adjourned till February, 3, 2014,
for continuation of trial.

Sent From David Aniemeka