Lagos State Traditional Ruler Has Been Arrested For Burying A Policeman Alive

A Lagos State Traditional ruler, Baale of Osoroko, Ibeju-Lekki, Olusegun Oyiri has been charged to court and remanded in prison custody for allegedly burying a 45-year-old Police Inspector alive.

The deceased whose name was given as Sunday Musa, was declared missing in November 2016 after embarking on an official assignment of settling a land dispute issue between two communities in the area, alongside two other Policemen which saw him never returning home.

Reports have it that upon getting to the area, they saw hoodlums assaulting a man. He reportedly told the other two policemen to go and put the man in the car so he could be safe. But before they came back to where Sunday was, the hoodlums had pounced on him and taken him away.His widow, Halima, had cried out to Saturday PUNCH at the time, urging the police authorities to provide her husband, with whom she had four children, dead or alive.

Sunday’s body was eventually found in June buried in a shallow grave as his family said he was buried alive.

The Baale of Osoroko community in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos, Olusegun Oyiri, was arrested and arraigned on Friday for the death of the policemen.

He was charged before an Ebute Metta Magistrates’ Court, Lagos alongside Akeem Balogun (51), Aroki Badiru (66) and Nasiru Shakiru (59). The police said the four accused persons allegedly conspired among themselves and unlawfully buried him in a shallow grave on November 29, 2016, at Osokoro community.

They were also accused of stealing the inspector’s AK 47 service rifle, two magazines and 30 rounds of 7.62 live ammunition.

Magistrate A. O. Salawu (Mrs.) ordered the four defendants to be remanded in prison’s custody following a remand application brought before the court by Mr. Emmanuel Eze from State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department.

The plea of the accused persons was not taken. However, Oyiri’s lawyer, Mr. O. Ajanaku, urged the court to admit him to bail due to his status as a community head. He insisted that the Baale did not participate in the policeman’s killing.

Magistrate Salawu declined the request and adjourned the case till August 31 for ruling on the bail application. She fixed September 21 for further hearing in the matter pending legal advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions.