THE Nigeria Police Force has instituted a probe into the alleged accidental killing of a police officer by his colleague while actually aiming at a civilian.
The tragic incident reportedly occurred on 8 August 2024, in the Surulere area of Lagos, when the said officer, Corporal U. Lawal, fatally shot Gabriel Audu in the chest. Although Gabriel was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), he later gave up the ghost.
Reports have it that the incident unfolded during a heated exchange between the suspect and a man identified as Mr Vincent regarding a used phone.
A police statement revealed that around 10:22 p.m. on the night of the incident, information was received from the Control Room indicating that an officer from SPU Base 10 Sokoto, assigned to a legal practitioner in Lagos, had shot and killed Audu, who was also attached to the same lawyer.
Upon receiving the alert, a police team swiftly arrived at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where the suspect, Corporal U. Lawal, was taken into custody. The firearm used in the shooting, an AK-47 rifle, was recovered from him.
During questioning, Lawal confessed to the crime, admitting that his original target was Vincent, also known as Dogman, with whom he had been arguing over a used phone. Tragically, the bullet hit Audu in the chest, leading to his death.
Audu’s body has been documented, and his remains have been transferred to the hospital’s morgue, where an autopsy will be conducted.
Eighteen-Eleven Media