Police accidental discharge kills pregnant woman in Akure

Peace was momentarily disturbed at Ijapo/Oke-Ijebu and Plaza areas of Akure on Tuesday evening, following the killing of a pregnant woman by a police man. Some policemen were said to have been at Ijapo/Okeijebu junction, directing vehicular traffic when his gun , AK-47 rifle, suddenly fell down and started discharging bullets.
The police officers took to their heels to avoid being hit by the bullets while other people around ran in different directions for safety. One of the bullets from the gun hit a pregnant woman who was inside a commercial bus and she allegedly died instantly. The policemen carried the pregnant woman to a nearby hospital where she was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty. Apparently angered by the development, youths in the areas mobilized themselves and attacked one of the policemen when he came back to pick up the gun. He was manhandled before his colleagues called for reinforcement and rescued him.
The police action, however, worsened the situation as angry youths thereafter set ablaze the police post at Ijapo and destroyed the gate to the Estate. They later moved to the divisional police station Ijapo where they sacked the police officers on duty. The Ijapo axis of Oke-Ijebu area was barricaded while bonfires were made in some of the critical junctions by the angry youths.
The men of the Nigeria Army Fast-Track squad 35 Artillery Brigade, Akure who came to rescue the embattled police officers had a hectic time preventing the youths from setting the police station ablaze. Meanwhile, women lawyers, Akure chapter yesterday staged a protest over the death of the pregnant woman. The lawyers described the killing as callous and wicked by the police officer, warning the police to desist from wasting innocent souls.
The killer policeman has been arrested and detained at the state CID for integration. Command spokesman Wole Ogodo ( ASP) while confirming the story said the police officer had faced orderly trial and he had been dismissed from the police force The PPRO said that the killer police will be charged to court today (Thursday ) for murder He said the police will not tolerate any act of indiscipline capable of denting the image of the police adding that any police officer who involve any act of indiscipline will be summarily dismissed