Okey Sampson, Umuahia
A trigger-happy Inspector of police, who shot a petrol attendant to death in Aba, Abia State on Monday afternoon would be arraigned for murder so says the state Commissioner of Police, Ene Okon. The officer, identified as Inspector ASU Stanley, was on the fateful day deployed along New Umuahia Road, Aba for the enforcement of the lockdown directive by the state government.
Stanley was reported to have attempted to stop a motorcycle rider, who violated the lockdown order.
The disobedient bike rider attempted to escape and the police officer went for his gun and shot in the direction of the fleeing okada man and the bullet hit the petrol attendant, injuring him fatally in the process. The victim was rushed to the hospital where he died later.
Okon, in confirming the incident, informed of the arrest of the officer whom he said had been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for investigation and prosecution.
Okon said police do not take such careless behaviour lightly. “That police inspector was arrested immediately and detained. As I’m talking to you, SCID has taken over the matter and are investigating the police inspector for murder.
“We have our rules of engagement, we have our standard of operation and procedure and we have our own Force Order 237 as reviewed. That order has to do with when a police officer has to use his firearm and it’ll be justified,” Okon said.
Okon said he was not taking the officer’s alibi of accidental discharge as an excuse, stressing that a trained officer on such assignment should put his rifle on safety.
“The rifle has safety and once you put it there, it’ll not just release. So, it’s not an excuse that he mistakenly touched the trigger. That’s why we detained him and are seriously investigating the whole matter,” Okon said.