Some policemen attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) are currently on trial for maltreating a man in Lagos.
The spokesman of the state police command, Chike Oti, said in a statement that the policemen were arrested following a report that a man had been shot by some SARS operatives.
Oti, however, clarified in the statement that the victim was not shot but suffered respiratory blockage due to the tear-gas he inhaled.
He said the man had since been revived.
According to him, the attention of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, was drawn to the incident through a report credited to OAKTVOnline on the Instagram.
“The Instagram’s caption said: ‘A yet-to-be-identified man has allegedly been shot by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) at Chinese town, Ojota.”
“Based on this report, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, immediately, activated the Command X-Squad section in collaboration with the Divisional Police Officer, Ogudu Division, Gbenga Olorunfemi, to fish out the policemen involved in matter.
“Their findings revealed that the victim – Ademuwagun Temitope Solomon – was not shot by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) as reported by the online media.
“He suffered from the inhalation of tear-gas spray, a.k.a pepper spray, occasioned by a neighbourhood police patrol team attached to Area-H- Command, Ogudu, Lagos.
“The infamous patrol team was led by Insp. Momoh Sulaiman and assisted by Sgt. Monday Emmanuel.
The victim had been revived.
“However, the investigating team had arrested and detained the policemen involved on the orders of Edgal,’’ the police spokesman said.
