“I was 15 years when I came to Lagos to work as a conductor in 2014. My parents were not aware I am in Lagos,” he stated.
My popular name is Eyie. I steal phones from people at Oshodi. We were three in my group; Ahmed alias Oyi, Tombolo and I. We have stolen more than 45 phones as a group and I have stolen countless number of phones individually.... I used to sell the phones at Idi-Oro, Mushin. I sell the phone according to their make. I sell some N10,000.00 and N8,000.00. I have gone to jail seven times.”
I sell Indian Hemp too. I buy it from Spider in Lagos Island and I resell in small wraps to over 50 of my colleagues in Oshodi. I can buy N4,000.00 and brake into small wraps and sell for N8,000.00”Confirming the arrest, the State's Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police, Dolapo Badmus, said that the Command will not rest on its oars in nipping in the bud criminal activities in the state.
“The man said the escort team was coming from an eatery at Rumukoro where the operatives had gone to pick some money. He said they were heading towards a bank in the area and he was driving behind the van when they fired the shot. He said they usually did that when they approached where they were taking money to. Unfortunately, the man was hit by the bullet. He told us to save his life.”A senior official at the hospital, who spoke for the management, said efforts by the hospital to save Ese were abortive.
“Our doctors, nurses and matrons were all involved in the battle to save his life. He lost a lot of blood. The bullet destroyed his internal organs. We took him to the theatre, and our workers even donated three pints of blood to save him, but he died. He was able to give us his name and address before passing on,” she added.She noted that the hospital reported the matter to a police station in the area.
“He worked as a painter and had executed a project for a construction company last year. He used the money that we saved for our house rent to complete the project. The firm paid him part, but still owed him about N266,900.
“Since that time, he had been going to ask for the balance without any result. Our landlady recently served us a notice to quit and he became desperate to recover the money.
“On Tuesday, January 31, around 1pm, we both left the house and when we got to Mile 1, we parted ways. I went to see a friend, while he went to the company. It was not up to one hour that I was called that my husband had been shot.
“I went to report at the area command, but immediately I said policemen shot my husband, I was chased out. I went to the governor’s office and I was sent away like a thief.”PUNCH Metro learnt that the deceased, who was survived by four children, had been taken by the family to a mortuary in his hometown in the Essien Udium Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
“Before my dad died, he told me that he was shot by the police. The police are silent about the case and have refused to do anything. We want the government to bury him and pay damages,” he added.Another member of the family, Blessing, asked the authorities not to sweep the case under the carpet.
