Fate played a cruel role in the life Ekpos on Wednesday night at Obalagbe , in Ijegun area of the state, after his matriach was added to the list of victims of the recklessness of trigger happy cops. Mr Godwin Ekpo , a tricycle operator, was reportedly returning home from Mount of Victory Church, located in Orilowo Ejigbo, with his wife and their four children in his tricycle when one Police Corporal, Musefun Aremu, attached to Isheri-Oshun division flagged him to stop. It was gathered that Aremu allegedly demanded for N200 from the operator for plying beyond the stipulated time for tricycle and due to the couple’s non-compliance, the trigger – happy cop shot and killed the woman while the husband was injured. Narrating what happened that fateful night, one of the children, Blessing (9), said in tears:
“My mummy was killed by the policeman. We were all in the keke marwawhen we heard the gun shot. Immediately , my mummy fell down. She fell on Elijah . She could not move. Blood was all over her . Elijah was crying from where he was trapped under her. My daddy was shouting ‘they have killed me ooo’.
“My elder sister was screaming, calling for help. I was the only one that went and held one of the policemen by the trouser. I was shouting at the top of my voice that ‘you people have killed my mummy. Come and take my mummy to the hospital. People who heard the gun shot rushed to where we were and brought Elijah out of my mummy’s weight. His body was covered with blood”. She burst into tears while trying to talk. But her words were inaudible.
She explained that the killer cop and members of his team immediately left the scene. The body of Mrs Ekpo was reportedly taken to the Isheri-Oshun division by sympathizers, from where it was taken to the hospital where she was certified dead,while her husband was rushed to the Lagos. University Teaching Hospital, LUTH.
It was discovered that the incident occurred barely four days after the family moved to Ijegun. The killing of Idongesit sparked off a protest next day, where the protesters complained about the excesses of policemen attached to that particular division.
It was alleged that three days before tragedy struck, Corporal Aremu had broken a commercial motorcyclist’s skull with the butt of his gun for not giving him N50 . Two weeks earlier, he reportedly sprayed tear-gas canisters on some tricycle operators for refusing to give him an undisclosed amount.
The errant cop should be sent behind bars for life! His history of violence is unparalled. What a threat to lives!!!