….What I did was within the law – Police boss
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and the Commissioner of Police, Abdullahi Chafe, on Wednesday, locked horns over alleged shielding of a killer customs officer.

It was gathered that the yet-to-be-identified customs officer rammed his car into a shop in Ayetoro Ekiti and killed two people on the spot while a few others were injured.
Those killed were identified as Emmanuel Owaremi and Mrs. Titilayo Omotoso.
Another victim, Bukola Aboko, lost her five months pregnancy in the accident and also sustained bodily injury.
Residents of the town alleged that the police after rescuing the man and another female occupant of the car from the scene of the accident, released them without charging them to court.
The development made the aggrieved residents to storm the police station to demand the re-arrest and prosecution of the killer ‘drunken’ driver.
Some of the family members of the victims were allegedly rounded up by the police and charged to court for breaching public peace and for allegedly attacking the police station.

Some family members on Wednesday took their protest to the Government’s House in Ado-Ekiti to complain to the governor.

A spokesperson for the two families, Mr. Adeola Abiodun, said the police withheld the remains of the victims and forced the families to withdraw their interest in pursuing the case in court before they could secure release of their bodies for burial.

“We were made to write the letter under duress and we had no choice because we were constantly harassed by the police.”

Fayose, who addressed journalists after the protest, said he was saddened by the weighty allegations against the police

He lamented that the Commissioner of Police could not give a satisfactory answer when he was confronted with the facts of the case.

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He said, “I am saddened by this development. Those who are supposed to be protecting us shouldn’t be oppressing us. When people face this kind of trauma, this kind of sad experience, the killing of their breadwinner, husbands and for any reason, a right thinking person should not cover it up. We must stand up against this. These people must get justice.

“A man killed two of their family members, rather than charging the suspect who occupied the car to court, the police charged the family members of the deceased to court. I want to assure Ekiti people that we will get to the root of this matter.

“For any one trying to cover this up, that would only be for a very short time. You can see the young lady, who was also hit by the car. She was pregnant and the foetus has to be evacuated to save her life.. so, for the police to release the suspect who owns the car is unacceptable.

“I have summoned the Commissioner of Police but I am not satisfied with what he said. There is a cover up everywhere. It is becoming a recurrent decimal. The police must wash their hands clean of this mess.”

“How can they ask those who lost their son and relative to write an affidavit indicating that they are not pursuing the case any longer. This was done to cover up the crime.

“It is also funny that the Police Commissioner has withdrawn his men from the town. How can you say because the towns people reacted to what you did, you now withdraw all your men and render the town insecure.