Families lament as cases against dismissed policemen stall in court

Families of victims allegedly killed by dismissed policemen, Corporal Aremu Musiliu, and Inspector Dikko Usman, have expressed frustration at the delay in concluding the case against the officers.

A mother of four, Mrs Comfort Udoh was allegedly shot and killed by Corporal Musiliu at Isheri Bus Stop when returning from church, while Inspector Usman was fingered in killing the Baale of Lotu in Ibeju-Lekki on July 15, 2023, over a land dispute.

Udoh was returning from church along with her husband, Godwin and their four children, while the community leader was reportedly killed in the presence of his wife and teenage daughter.

Speaking on Saturday, the families of the deceased decried that the cases were being stalled because the relevant department had not provided the court with the necessary legal advice to ensure prosecution.

They noted that their grief over their losses is compounded by the way the case is being handled, despite what they described as clear evidence.

The Department of Public Prosecution, by law, is empowered to issue legal advice on police case files, institute prosecutions, and oversee criminal cases in both High and Magistrates’ Courts.

But, a staff member of the DPP who asked to remain anonymous assured our correspondent, in a phone conversation, that the matter would be filed promptly.

A phone call to the DPP spokesperson, Mrs Grace Alo, was unsuccessful as her phone rang out on Sunday.

Also, WhatsApp messages sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Babajide Martins, remained unanswered at the time of filing this report.

Narrating the incident, Godwin Udoh said his family was flagged down by policemen who allegedly demanded N2,000.

He said, despite explaining they were not commercial passengers, Musiliu reportedly opened fire on their tricycle.

“He aimed his rifle and shot directly at us,” Godwin recounted. “My wife died on the spot, shot in the head. I was hit in the jaw and shoulder. Since 2015, I’ve lived with metal in my mouth. I still can’t chew properly.

“Despite Musiliu’s confession and a legal advisory confirming he committed the act, the case has lingered for nearly two years at the Magistrate Court,” he said.

According to court filings, Musiliu eventually secured bail from an Ikeja High Court due to the failure of the Department of Public Prosecution to present proof of evidence.

Justice Taiwo of the Lagos High Court had then ruled, “It is my view that the offence of murder is indeed a serious offence, but the absence of any DPP legal advice or proof of evidence which would enable the court to form its view on the strength of evidence to be called and whether a prima facie case is maintainable against the applicant.”

The family claimed that Musiliu disappeared after receiving bail in 2017 and has never returned to court.

Godwin said, “He (Musiliu) appeared only once in 2015, the day he was remanded. Since then, he has vanished. We are frustrated.

“What do I tell my children about the man who killed their mother, my in-laws? It feels like the system was rigged against us,” Godwin lamented.

Similarly, the family of late Chief Jubril, the Baale of Lotu in Ibeju Lekki LGA, said they were yet to see any real progress in the prosecution of Inspector Usman and others.

The late Jubril’s brother, Moshood, told PUNCH Metro on Saturday that the case remains at the Magistrates’ Court, with no progress.

Moshood said, “He was shot to death in the presence of his wife and teenage daughter. The report of the advisory is out. But I don’t know why they have not taken the case to the high court.

“They want to frustrate the case. The DPP has done nothing since the report came out. We don’t know why they’ve not filed it at the High Court.

According to court filings and a legal advisory by the DPP, Usman was reportedly acting on certain orders.

The DPP advisory signed by Deputy Director Sunmonu Tunde, recently reported by PUNCH Metro read, “Facts in the duplicate case file reveal that one Chief Fatai Jubril Asalu was shot at on July 15, 2023, at Museyo community, Ajah, and died as a result of the gunshot injuries to the head, as indicated in the Medical Cause of Death Certificate dated August 23, 2023.”