Police identify officer who shot man at Lagos filling station

Lagos police spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin

The Lagos State Police Command has identified the officer responsible for shooting a man at a filling station in Lagos.

Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in which he added that investigation into the matter is still ongoing.

He wrote: “The person behind the shooting has been identified as a police officer serving at Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 17, Lion Building, Lagos.Investigation is still ongoing and further findings will be made available.

“Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command is working with the family of the deceased to ensure that there is no miscarriage of justice.”

Recall that tragedy struck on Wednesday in the Obalende area of Lagos State, when a man named Toheeb Eniasa was shot dead by armed security operative.

It was learned that the chaos started while motorists and residents in the area struggled to purchase fuel at petrol station belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited at Obalende area of Lagos State on Wednesday evening.

According to an eyewitness Idowu, trouble started when two men, believed to be military officers, drove into the station to buy petrol while many others were on the queue to buy the scarce product.

Explaining further, Idowu said: “The actions of the armed officers were met with stiff resistance from people who had been waiting in the queue for over five hours. The deceased Toheeb Eniasa was one of the people who spoke loudly against the officers asking them to join the queue like everyone else.”

“Quickly the verbal confrontation degenerated into a fisticuff. One of the men shot the young man and immediately fled the incident scene leaving the area in disarray.”

According to another eyewitness, a food vendor Funmi Aina said: I saw them. They are men of the DSS. They came to the scene to buy fuel but refused to join the queue.

“That is what they always do. It was not Toheeb’s turn yet but he confronted them, asking them to join the queue or be polite about the way they went about the purchase.

“One of them was so impatient. He slapped Toheeb and he retaliated with more words. Before we could know it, we heard gunshots and Toheeb fell to the ground.”