Police Dismiss Cop Who fired Shot at Ekiti APC Rally

….. CP reads riot act to politicians

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

The policeman that fired the gunshots that injured a former member
of the House of Representatives, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele and five
others at a rally by All Progressives Congress (APC) for its
governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has been dismissed from the
service.

Making the disclosure yesterday, the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State
Command, Mr. Bello Ahmed, said the action was taken to protect the
integrity of the Force.

The CP didn’t mention the name of the affected shooter cop and where
exactly he was attached before his dismissal.

But available facts indicated that he was drawn by a politician from
MOPOL 20 in Lagos State, which the police authorities interpreted to
be illegal duty.
He made the announcement while featuring on a live television
programme yesterday.

Ahmed, who was interviewed via the telephone by the television
station on the morning show, said: “The policeman involved is dismissed
already and even though he’s nursing some injury; and at the
appropriate time, he will face the law of course. Nigerians will be
briefed on the outcome of our actions.”

Ahmed also explained that the politician that brought the erring cop
was also in detention and that at the appropriate time, he would be
charged to court.

Meanwhile, the CP also met with chairmen of political parties on yesterday, warning
them to abide by the rules governing the conduct of election to
prevent anarchy in the state.

Ahmed said the command won’t fold its arms and allow people to breach
the 1999 constitution and the Electoral Act, under the guise of
election.

He said the meeting was convened for stakeholders to brainstorm on how to ensure peaceful conduct of the coming governorship election and that the riot act has been read to them to serve as a guided principle.

The police boss promised that his men would be neutral in the July 14 election and won’t do anything that would make them look as if they were working for a certain political party.
“What I want from my men is professionalism. We are going to be guided by the instrumentality of the law, because this election is going to
be a different ball game.”

On the deployment of more anti-riot policemen to Ekiti since last week, Ahmed said: “You know what is on the ground would determine what
would be done. If the situation on ground dictates we behave otherwise,
we would do provided it is within the confines of the law.

“We are going to regulate every inch of activity in the state. We will
not sit down and tolerate any act of lawlessness, whoever is involved.
The police, we are willing, competent to take action against any group
or persons, either individual or groups as far this campaign is
concerned.”

The Chairman of APC, Ekiti chapter, Chief Jide Awe, described the
meeting as a fruitful deliberation, saying the police boss spoke
frankly and expressed his feelings about the comportments of political
parties.

“The police boss spoke frankly and he told us to warn our supporters
to respect the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act and this we
have to do in the interest of our dear state.
“We want to rule over living and not dead people, so we need to exercise restraint in the way we conduct ourselves.”

His counterpart in the PDP , Mr. Gboyega Oguntuase, said what the
police boss preached at the meeting was civility and decorum from all
political parties, which he assured his party would stringently comply
with.

“As much as we believe in this, he must also not be unaware of
something, you can’t rig election and be expecting decorum.

“What our people will resist is corruption and rigging and once the
police and other security agencies are ready to be neutral, then there
will be peace.”
Other chairmen at the party conceded to the idea that credible election must be conducted in Ekiti to avert crisis.