OPC member kills socialite during gun salute

The police have commenced  investigations into the murder of a 72-year-old man, Alhaji Abdulkareem Kadiru, in Ijora Badia area of Lagos State.

According to the police, the victim was killed in error by an Oodua Peoples Congress member, Ismaila Rahmon, who was in charge of security at a school where a Ramadan event took place.

Rahman allegedly killed the Alhaji with a gun he seized from an armed robber but failed to turn it over to the police.

PUNCH Metro learnt that on August 4, 2013, Rahmon and another OPC member, identified simply as Obasanjo, had gone to provide security for the victim and other dignitaries at the event.

It was gathered that Kadiru was a generous man and because of his nature, touts usually surrounded him and sang his praises so that he would give them money

Rahmon was said to have opened fire in a bid to disperse the touts.

It was learnt that after the hoodlums fled, the suspect started hailing Kadiru, shouting Tuale (a local slang to show respect).

He allegedly shot into the air again to salute the victim. The bullet, however, killed Kadiru in error.

The 30-year-old suspect said, “I sell shirts at Oluwole and I am also a part-time Yoruba movie actor. I have starred in three films but I do not get paid because I am an apprentice. In order to make ends meet, I joined the OPC and I earn N12, 000 a month.

“On the day Alhaji was killed, Obasanjo and I went to a secondary school in the area to provide security for influential personalities who came there for Ramadan benevolence programme where they donated items to members of the community.

“When Alhaji arrived, I escorted his vehicle into the compound and touts stormed the school in order to extort money from him. I had been told that area boys would come so I came to the school with a gun. When I attempted to disperse the hoodlums and they refused to go, I shot into the air. I also attempted to give Tuale (salute) to Alhaji with another gunshot because I wanted him to give me money. It was in the process that the bullet hit him in his head.”

The native of Kwara State said after Alhaji fell to the ground, area boys gathered and beat him up.

Our correspondent learnt that the area boys would have lynched him if not for the timely intervention of policemen.

 “The area boys beat me up and collected all the money on me which was about N20,000. They seized my phone, kicked me in the penis many times and inflicted wounds on my head. It was the police that saved me from death. The policemen that came arrested me and took me to their station,” he said.

When asked if he was licensed and trained to use a weapon, the suspect said, “I was trained by OPC to use weapons. But I have never used a gun publicly before the incident. The gun did not belong to me; it belonged to an armed robber that I arrested some months ago.”

The suspect, who claimed to be the breadwinner of his family, pleaded with the police to let him go as he did not kill the victim deliberately.

“I have three children and my wife sells bread. I am pleading with the police and Alhaji’s family to forgive me,” he said.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the killing to our correspondent on the telephone.

She said, “The matter is under investigation at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba. The suspect would soon be charged to court.”