SECURITY OPERATIVES SHOOT AT CORPERS

Security operatives in a convoy went haywire on Thursday shooting at a car conveying five corps members serving in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
It was learnt that the incident happened around 1pm in the Mowe end of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, in front of the Mowe Police Division. The convoy was reportedly en route to Lagos to pick a governor at the airport.

The Punch gathered that, the corps members were returning from the National Youth Service Corps Secretariat at Owode, where they had gone to do their monthly clearance.
The operatives, who were said to be in a Jeep, had reportedly ordered the driver to park so they could catch up with other vehicles in the convoy.

After the driver had parked, our correspondent gathered that two of the operatives, who were in suits, disembarked from the vehicle.
One of the security men allegedly shot at the back tyre of the car.
The corps member, who drove the car, Benjamin Olayemi, told our correspondent that he and his friends reported the incident at the Mowe Police Station.

He said to his utmost surprise, a policeman said he saw everything that transpired.
He said, “On Thursday we went for our monthly clearance. As we wanted to link the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway from the Mowe pedestrian under bridge, a vehicle came out and blocked our lane. I parked and a Danfo driver behind me did the same. We noticed it was a convoy and we allowed the vehicles to pass.

“As I wanted to move, another Jeep blocked my car. Two security men in suits came down and walked towards my car. One of them shut at the tyre. They entered into the Jeep and zoomed off. They knew we are corps members because we were in uniform
“We went to the Ibafo Police Station to make a report and the DPO led us to the Mowe Police Station. When we got there (Mowe division), we realised that the incident actually happened in front of the station. One of the policemen said we should thank God only the tyre was shot.”

Olayemi said they were in shock and could not get the number plate of the vehicle.
Another corps member, Mariam Abdulkareem, said she recorded part of the conversations at the Mowe division.
In the recording, a policewoman was heard telling the aggrieved corps members not to blame the police for the incident.
She said, “Don’t shout at us; you saw them yourself. They wore suits and carried big guns. I also saw them. It is because you are corpers they left. Most times, they beat up people.”
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, promised to get back to The Punch with comments on the incident, but he had yet to do so as of press time.