The five policemen who were allegedly involved in the killing of a 27-year-old driver in Ilorin on Monday are to undergo an Orderly Room Trial.


The victim, one Dele Olaniyi, died instantly, while his assistant Waheed Jamiu, was seriously wounded and is said to be responding slowly to treatment at the General Hospital, Ilorin.


But the Kwara State police command which disclosed that the five policemen, including a corporal seriously wounded by a mob, had been arrested, noted that they would be dealt with, if found culpable.


However, in putting up a defence in favour of his colleagues, the command's spokesman, Mr Ezekiel Dabo, laboured to link the shooting incident with an alleged kidnap case that allegedly took place earlier in the day.


"At about 1200hrs, on 23/08/2010, one Raimi Okulaja of Erinle Irewolede, Ilorin came to report that his daughter, Mercy, of about 17 years had been kidnapped and driven to an undisclosed location. All the patrol teams and divisions were accordingly alerted.


"The police, therefore, embarked on a stop-and-search and asked the trailer driver to stop. He refused and was pursued.


"In a bid to stop him from escaping, one of the officers fired at the tyre, but incidentally the bullet hit the driver, while the motor boy Wahidi Jamiu sustained gunshot injuries.


"Meanwhile, at about the same time, when the incident happened, we got information that the kidnapped girl was abandoned behind Tuyil Pharmaceuticals, with no ransom paid," he said.

This is sad news to the family of the deceased. I pray that God gives them the understanding to bear the huge loss.