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Friends Narrate How Kolade Johnson Was Allegedly Killed By Policeman

Three friends of Kolade Johnson, on Wednesday, narrated to an Ikeja High Court how the 35-year-old man was allegedly killed by a Police Inspector, Ogunyemi Olalekan, at a viewing centre in Lagos State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three friends – Messrs Ismail Folorunsho, Samuel Nana and Omotayo Dairo – were led in evidence by the state Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Mr Yhaqub Oshoala.

They testified at the beginning of Olalekan’s trial for murder.

The trial lasted for more than three hours.

Giving evidence as the first prosecution witness, Folorunsho, 29, an employee of a media company, said that on March 31, 2019, he was accosted by some policemen at a bus stop at Mangoro, Lagos, while he was heading to Ikeja to use an Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

“It was around 4.30 p.m. before I got to the bus stop. I stopped at a bar called Kingston Jo to say hello to some friends.

“I was with a female friend; when we got to the bus stop, I saw a yellow ‘Danfo’ bus which had no registration number.

“My friend wanted to enter the bus but I told her not to go in because there were a lot of men in the bus. Two men in mufti came out from the bus and I thought they were passengers.

“The men held my clothes and I thought they wanted to kidnap me, I told my friend to run and I asked them to identify themselves.

“Immediately I said that, two officers in black polo shirts, with SARS written on the back, came out. The man, holding me, said that I had guts to talk, and they started beating me,” he said.

Folorunsho said the commotion drew the attention of people in the bar.

He said that during the fracas, Olalekan cocked his gun, forcing him to go into the bus while another officer hit the butt of his gun to hit him.

“The other officers entered the bus and drove for a very short distance and the defendant came down and asked the gathered crowd in Yoruba whether want to die for me.

“I heard three gunshots, the defendant was the one who fired the shots, and immediately after firing the gun, he entered the bus and told the driver to move,” he said.

Folorunsho said that when he and the policemen got to Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, the bus stopped and the two officers in uniform alighted and walked away to have a hushed conversation.

“They came back and asked me what I do for a living, I said I worked in a media company, and they asked me to go.

“When I got home, I heard that the gunshots killed Kolade Johnson and we made a report at the Shasha Police Station and Area F Police Station.

While being cross-examined by defence counsel, Mr Abayomi Omotubora, the witness was asked about his appearance on the day of the incident.

“On that day, you were wearing terrible dreadlocks, you were found alone at the bus stop, your friends accosted the policemen who wanted to arrest you.

“They were being attacked by your friends that is why the defendant made that statement.

“Apart from wearing dreadful heavy dreadlocks, you were also dressed rascally like those hip-hop boys,” Omotubora said.

However, Folorunsho said that he was not alone at the bus stop but had a female companion with him.

He added that he did not know whether the bus stop was a black spot for criminal activities.

He said he was familiar with the bar, Kingston Jo, and knew about 90 per cent of the men in the bar who were watching a football match at the time.

“None of the guys were armed, they were all having a dialogue with the policemen. I was placed immediately behind the driver on the bus. From where I was kept, I could see clearly what was happening.

“I was on dreads which were cute and nice and was wearing a pair of slippers which were not bathroom slippers. I was not wearing chains or carrying a bag,” Folorunsho said.

_____

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Copyright 2020 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant source.

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