Immigration officers in police custody for killing colleague

Some officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for killing their colleague, identified simply as Egun, in the line of duty.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the officers were on duty at the Departure Terminal, Seme Border, Lagos, on Saturday, January 24, when the incident occurred.

Our correspondent gathered that the officers, at about 2pm, intercepted a commercial bus at the border, which was suspected to be conveying illegal immigrants, and requested their documents.

It was gathered that the travellers, who the officers later discovered to be thugs, engaged the NIS men in a scuffle and fled from the scene during the questioning.

After the scuffle, an argument reportedly ensued among the officers during which one of them allegedly fired at Egun in the neck.

Egun, who was rushed to the Badagry General Hospital, however, died on the way. He was said to have been confirmed dead by a doctor in the hospital on arrival.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the matter was reported to the Badagry Police Division, while the police arrested all the officers on duty at the border during the incident.

A police source revealed to our correspondent that the immigrants, who escaped with the commercial bus, were still at large.

He said, “The officers had intercepted a commercial bus at the border, which was conveying some immigrants. The officers suspected that the passengers did not have the proper entry documents, and they stopped them.

“During the inspection of the immigrants, an argument ensued between them and the officers on the documents presented. In the process, the thugs attacked the immigration men and fled the area. During the incident, an immigration officer accidentally fired at his colleague, Egun, and he died while being rushed to the hospital. The police have arrested all the officers who were on duty that day.”

Our correspondent learnt that the matter had, however, been transferred from the Badagry division to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Yaba, where further investigations were ongoing.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the arrest, adding that the police command and the NIS authorities were collaborating on the investigation into the incident.

He said, “The group of persons, who engaged the officers, is still at large. The corpse of the officer has been deposited at the Badagry General Hospital’s morgue while investigation continues.

“The two agencies ─ the police and the NIS ─ are collaborating to investigate the murder incident.”

The Public Relations Officer of the NIS, Mr. Emeka Obua, when contacted on Sunday, told our correspondent that the service had not been officially briefed on the matter, promising to get back to our correspondent later.

He said, “We have not been officially briefed on the matter. When we have the full report, we will get across to you.”

An NIS official, who begged for anonymity because he could not speak officially on the incident, however, toldPUNCH Metro that the arrested immigration officers were attached to the border patrol, adding that the NIS authorities were also conducting their own investigation.

He said, “The dead officer and the arrested officers are in our border patrol command. The matter is very official and an investigation is ongoing on it.”