The police in Delta state have confirmed the beheading of a traditional ruler in Asemokwu, a fishing community in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State as a result of clashes over sharing of crude oil proceeds.
Three other people were also killed in the crisis.
Unconfirmed reports say four officers were also killed when their military patrol vehicle was ambushed by hoodlums in the community.
Eyewitness account has it that the hoodlums ambushed the army personnel in an attack, killing three officers on the spot while others sustained injuries, adding that another officer died at the Federal Medical Centre Asaba.
Uneasy calm has pervaded the deserted community as military officers are said to have flooded the area to restore peace.
Although, the Public Relations Officer of the Delta state police command, Bright Edafe could not confirm the death of the military personnel, he however confirmed the gruesome murder of the monarch.
POLICE BALLISTICIAN GIVES EVIDENCE IN CHRISTMAS DAY SHOOTING
A police Ballistician has testified at the Lagos state high court sitting at the TBS annex on Lagos island and presented his report following his inspection of two firearms, one of which was suspected to have been used in the deadly shooting of a pregnant lawyer on December 25, 2022, in which ASP Drambi Vandi from the Ajiwe police station, Ajah, is the sole defendant in the murder trial.
After examining several other vital pieces of evidence, the ADEYEYE BAMISOPE says it is not possible to link the bullet with the weapons due to some malfunctions on them.
ADEYEYE BAMISOPE is the 10th witness for the Lagos state government prosecuting the murder trial of
Bolanle Raheem. she was seven months pregnant at the time she was allegedly shot in the chest by asp Drambi Vandi while he and two others were on patrol at Ajah under bridge last Christmas. The defendant whos now been suspended from the Nigeria police force pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in January.
On Thursday, the attorney general Moyosore Onigbanjo san presented the witness before justice Ibironke Harrison, the police ballistician from the Forensic Science Laboratory of the force Criminal Investigation Department in Alagbon, Lagos says he examined the firearms and ammunition carried by the defendant and one Inspector Ebimine on the day of the shooting. His findings revealed that the ak47 weapons were, AK. 47 and that The magazine attached to each firearms are capable of taking thirty rounds of calibre 7.62mm ammunition. He added that the Examination conducted in their barrels revealed residue of burnt propellant); an indication that the firearms were recently fired and that Their working mechanisıns are in order, meaning they are lethal weapons. But he noted in his report that he detected some display malfunctions on the Selector of the firearms which is used to select levels such safe, automatie and semiautomatic mode but which Appeared loosed and stiff at some level. In his words both guns aren’t 100 percent reliable.
Supol Adeyeye also examined the vehicle the Raheems were in at the time, he says a bullet core (“inner bullet”) was recovered lying on the floor between the back left side door and back left passenger sit. the bullet’s metallic fragments were also retrieved from the corpse during autopsy.
They were found to be broken copper bullet jacket, one bigger and the other two tiny are from the same source. According to him, It gained its present shape due to impact on resistant object probably a bone, and so it has lost some vital parts that could be used to identify the specific firearm that recently fired it.
Earlier on Thursday, another inspector Adeyemo Olubunmi from the SCID Panti who investigated the homicide presented both rifles which were admitted as exhibits but later returned to the police.
He revealed during cross examination led by Defence counsel Olatokunbo Odutola that the weapons were among those coupled after the destruction of many rifles from the armoury at Ajah due to the post ENDSARS destruction of 2020. Further hearing is fixed for Feb. 15, 2023.
