THE police in Lagos State have launched a manhunt for killers of an officer who was murdered during a disturbance in the Ajao Estate area on Thursday. The slain officer has been identified as Kazeem Sumonu Abonde, a Chief Superintendent of Police.
Abonde was killed as commercial motorcyclists clashed with policemen who were enforcing the ban on commercial motorcycle operation in the area.
The spokesman of the state police command, Adekunle Ajisebutu, in a statement on Friday said the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ajao Estate Police Station, Abdullai Malla and other officers were also injured in the attack.
The statement reads: “The Lagos State police command lost one of its finest officers during a raid on criminal hideouts in Ajao Estate, Lagos State, yesterday, 23rd September, 2021.
“The incident happened when tactical teams of the command comprising men drawn from RRS, Taskforce, Ajao Estate Division and other divisions were carrying out raid of identified flashpoints and enforcing the ban on use of motorcycles in restricted areas in the estate and similar places in the state.
“The exercise was a routine proactive approach aimed at curtailing activities of armed robbers and other criminal elements in the state. Similar exercises were carried out in the past in other parts of the state which have resulted in reduction in crimes in the areas.
“After the successful operations which led to the arrest of some of the suspects, other criminal elements and hoodlums, in their large numbers, laid siege to the exit of the estate and attacked the policemen with guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons.
“Unfortunately, during the fatal attack, CSP Kazeem Sumonu Abonde attached to the Operations Department of the command was brutally killed by the hoodlums.
“The DPO Ajao Estate, CSP Abdullahi Malla and other police officers equally sustained varying degrees of injury.
“The corpse of the deceased officer has been deposited at the Yaba Mainland Hospital for autopsy.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, while condemning the attack on the policemen who were carrying out legitimate duty at the time, has directed that a discreet investigation into the incident should be carried out immediately.
“The CP has equally vowed to ensure that all suspects responsible for the dastardly act would be brought to book soon.
“The Commissioner of Police has promised that this mournful incident would not dampen the morale of the command or discourage it from carrying out its statutory duties of protecting lives and property of the citizens in Lagos State.”