Okada rider kills policeman for seizing bike

A police corporal, Joseph Ebosele, has been confirmed dead at a Lagos hospital after he was hit with an iron rod by a motorcyclist, Bakare Lukman, in the Meiran area of Lagos State. 

 PUNCH Metro learnt that around 11pm on October 11, 2014, policemen on patrol arrested Lukman for contravening the traffic law which prohibits the movement of commercial motorcycles after 10pm.

It was learnt that after seizing Lukman’s bike, the team leader of the policemen handed it over to Ebosele to ride to the station.

Our correspondent learnt that a furious Lukman reportedly escaped police custody, caught up with Ebosele and attacked him with an iron rod.

A source told our correspondent that the 35-year-old deceased and his colleagues were responding to a distress call when the incident occurred.

He said, “The policemen were in their station when they received a distress call. They went there and were returning when they sighted Lukman riding the bike around 12 midnight.

“They queried him and when he could not give a satisfactory answer, they decided to confiscate the motorcycle. They also arrested him, but he escaped along the way.

“Lukman then waylaid them. He attacked the police corporal on the head, with an iron rod and rode away on the bike.”

He said the other policemen noticed that their colleague was nowhere to be found and decided to trace him.

They were said to have met him unconscious and rushed him to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.

Our correspondent learnt from a police source that the police recovered the suspect’s cap at the scene which they used in tracing him to the motor park.

PUNCH Metro gathered that Lukman’s friends identified the cap as belonging to him.

Further investigations were said to have led the police to the suspect.

Our correspondent learnt that Lukman confessed to the crime.

Lukman, a resident of Olajumoke Street, in Obafemi Owode Local Government area of Ogun State, told the police he had hid in the dark inside a mechanic shop from where he monitored the movement of the police patrol van.

He said, “After they seized the bike I went ahead of them and stayed in a mechanic shop. It was there I saw an iron rod which I took.

“While waiting on Meiran Road, I saw their van pass by, then I saw the policeman riding my bike.

“I used all my strength to hit him with the iron before fleeing with my bike.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Keneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident.

He added, “The bikeman is in our custody now, and investigations are ongoing.”