Corporal Shoots ASP Dead During Argument @ The Police Station

* it sound funny but real on April 6, 2013, Jane and Olusoji Elegbede
got married in Lagos State, their joy knew no
bounds.
Although Olusoji was a policeman serving in Yobe
State, which is fraught with security challenges,
Jane did not mind living there with him. Their plan
was to settle down, have children and grow old
together.
Unfortunately, this was not to be as Olusoji, an
Assistant Superintendent of Police, was gunned
down by a police corporal in Gashua Bade Local
Government, Yobe State, while on duty less than
five months after their wedding.
Olusoji’s widow, who spoke while fighting back
tears, told PUNCH Metro that she was still in shock
over the incident.
Narrating what led to her 39-year-old husband’s
killing, Jane said her husband, who was the
Administration Officer at Gashua Police Division,
was killed by a 53-year-old corporal, Andrew
Bitus.
She said, “The station is situated in a barracks and
we all live in the barracks. The corporal (Bitus),
was dating an elderly woman and they had a
quarrel. Bitus wanted to part ways with the
woman, so he told her to refund the money he
had spent on her but the woman refused.
“The corporal dragged the woman to the station
but the Divisional Police Officer intervened, saying
it was a civil case and told the corporal to take
the matter to the court.
“The DPO travelled some days later, on August
30, 2013 to be precise. The corporal arrested the
woman again.
“My husband, who was the most senior officer in
the station at the time, reiterated what the DPO
said and ordered the corporal to let the woman
go.
“The corporal, instead, started harassing the
woman at the station. My husband then told other
policemen at the station to register a case against
the corporal for his behaviour.”
Jane said the corporal became infuriated and
insulted her husband who was over 10 years
younger than him.
She said in the ensuing argument, the corporal
brought out his rifle and shot the deceased many
times.
She said, “I was in my house when I heard
gunshots. Initially I thought it was Boko Haram
members that were attacking the station. It was a
few minutes later that someone informed me that
my husband had been shot.
“When I got to the station, I was told by
policemen that the corporal brought out his gun
and shot my husband in front of the counter. My
husband was said to have fled, but the corporal
chased him and rained bullets on him. I met my
husband in a pool of blood.
“When I asked why they could not stop the
trigger-happy policeman, they told me that they
had to run for cover for fear of being hit by the
bullets.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that Olusoji was rushed to the
General Hospital, Gashua, and was taken to the
theatre where a surgery was done to remove the
bullets from his body.
“The doctors told me that he survived and was
going to be taken to the Federal Medical Centre,
however, they later opened up to me that he died
during the surgery,” she said.
Jane insisted that the corporal must be brought to
book, adding that her husband was not involved in
any love affair with the woman who was at the
centre of the feud.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the killer policeman had
been dismissed and was being detained at the
State Criminal Investigation Department,
Damaturu.
The unidentified woman, who was being harassed
by the corporal, had also been arrested.
A cousin of the deceased, Kunle Bajela, said apart
from getting justice for the killing, the family
wanted his widow to be well taken care of by the
police authorities.
“My cousin died in active service and we want
those who depended on him for their upkeep are
not neglected by the police,” he said.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, told
our correspondent on the telephone that he would
call later to brief him on the incident.