Killing A Mother-Of-Four: Another Policeman Has Gone “Mad” Again

Editor’s note: The Naij.com contributor, Kofoworola Ayodeji, writes on the case of the mother-of-four who was shot in the head by a policeman in Lagos on September 16. There is a burning need, this author notes, to rid the Nigeria Police Force of trigger-happy policemen who are wasting the lives of innocent Nigerians.

I was deeply aggrieved and angry as I watched the interview, on Channels TV, of a 12-year-old Elizabeth who narrated how a trigger-happy police corporal shot her parents — Mr and Mrs Godwin Ekpo — in the head.

According to the girl, they were returning from church in her father’s “keke marwa” (tricycle) when they were stopped by a group of policemen who were carrying out a “stop-and-search” operation. While the father was conversing with the policemen, Mrs Godwin alighted with her 11-month-old baby to join them and perhaps see what was really happening.

After some time, the young girl stated, her parents were seen to be approaching the tricycle where she and her two other siblings (9-year-old Abraham and 7-year-old Mary) were waiting. Suddenly, a bullet pierced through the back of her mother’s head. The woman fell to the ground and died on the spot in a pool of blood. Right before the little ones’ eyes, their father was also hit by a bullet.

Passers-by came to their rescue by taking the baby and then rushing her dad to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) where he is gradually recuperating.

It has also been reported that trouble actually started when the policeman, identified as Corporal Aremu, demanded a N50 bribe from the tricycle operator, and the victim tried to explain that he was only carrying members of his family. This corporal was said to have taken Monkey Tail (a local gin mixed with Indian hemp) before the incident that ended the life of an innocent mother-of-four.

Yet another cruel act

I’m sure many Nigerians are already fed up with the activities of some uncultured policemen. “The police are your friend,” they say, but what happens is the exact opposite. Is it not heartbreaking that supposed friends have turned themselves into enemies?

It would be a gross disservice if I generalize, but one would be tempted to do so because of the high level of killings by some unscrupulous Nigerian policemen. For decades, this issue has been raised over and over, and things seem to be getting worse. One cannot begin to cite cases of unwarranted killings by these members of the Nigeria Police Force because they are too numerous to mention.

In this present case, Mr Godwin and his children have been subjected to serious psychological trauma with lasting implications. Such is the case of many Nigerians — while some of these stories are told, many others have gone without public attention. I have read about policemen who are credible and patriotic in the discharge of their duties, but how many are they? There is therefore an urgent need for the inspector general of police, Solomon Arase, as well as other relevant stakeholders, to come up with ingenious strategies to arrest this “show of gross indiscipline” that is somehow becoming a culture in the force.  

Justice must prevail

Even though it’s in the news that the erring policeman had been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force and then charged to court for murder, and also that the divisional police officer in charge of Isheri Oshun where the incident happened had been redeployed, there is need for all Nigerians to ensure that the case is not swept under the carpet; that would be gross injustice! These actions are quite commendable but more has to be done. For me, those that were involved should be properly prosecuted so that they can serve as deterrents to others.

In addition to these sanctions, it won’t be out of place if potential policemen (and women) are subjected to serious psychological tests and behavioral grooming during recruitment. These, as well as the introduction of police body cameras, might help reduce the rate at which innocent Nigerians are “fired” by their supposed friends.

One also believes that these reforms could help rid the police of miscreants who have turned the much-dreaded gun into a toy that they can cock at the slightest provocation especially when it involves the collection of a bribe.

Never again!

The welfare of these children — who are currently being subjected to serious hardship by this incident — must also be given serious attention. The Lagos state government and the federal government need to intervene and ensure that adequate provisions are made for them. And more importantly, the assistance that would be offered should not start and end on the pages of newspapers; they must be genuinely implemented to the letters. Pledges of a house, scholarships, millions of naira could be made to the family of the deceased, but if they are not made available at the appropriate time, they are as good as nothing.

My heart breaks whenever I hear of such avoidable occurrences as this. As it stands, this mother was murdered in cold blood while her husband was injured by a reckless policeman because of a N50 bribe. This is just one of many cases. But, I do hope that justice would prevail and the affected family will be well compensated. Even though this cannot reverse the irreparable damages that had been done, it could help prevent future occurrences and save many lives. Despicable acts like this must never be treated with kid gloves. Not anymore, never again!

Kofoworola Ayodeji for Naij.com

Kofoworola Ayodeji is a physiotherapist by profession, and by nature a writer and transformational speaker who is passionately involved in nation-building. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

The views expressed in this article are author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Naij.com.

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