One Segun Fabunmi, a former Divisional Police Officer, DPO, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for killing one Ademola Ade in Lagos during the January 2012 protest against the removal of fuel subsidy by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The convict had on May 5, 2013, been arraigned on seven counts of attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm filed against him by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
The deceased, who met his untimely death at about 9 am on January 9, 2012 was a fashion designer, was said to have been shot dead by Fabunmi, who was then the DPO in charge of Pen Cinema Police Division, Agege, leading a patrol team comprising five junior officers to Yaya-Abatan and Abeokuta streets around the Ogba area of Lagos state.
Fabunmi was also found guilty of causing grievous bodily harms to three other persons: Chizorba Odoh, Alimi Abubakar and Egbujor Samuel during the said protest and had since been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force.
He was however, convicted on Monday and sentenced to ten years imprisonment by Justice Olabisi Akinlade of a Lagos State High Court in Igbosere.
In his ruling, Akinlade rejected the argument of Fabunmi’s lawyer, Mr. George Oguntade SAN, that he accidentally fired the shot that killed Ade while struggling to retain the possession of his riffle during a confrontation with a mob.
According to the judge, the prosecution led by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Idowu Alakija, proved its case beyond reasonable doubts.
The judge said, “The only conclusion that can be drawn is that the defendant recklessly shot his rifle and in the process, the bullet hit the deceased. He definitely knew that shooting an AK47 can cause grievous bodily harm to anyone the bullet hit.
“The fact that he was on a lawful duty did not mean that he should have shot his gun sporadically,” the judge held.
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