Jubril Rasheed
An indication has emerged that the police authorities have commenced the reinvestigation of the case of a trigger-happy policeman, Mr. Gbenga Fashola, who shot a 23-year-old, Mr. Jubril Rasheed, on the buttocks and rendered him impotent.
Investigations by PUNCH METRO revealed that the police authorities intervened in the matter following public outcry that greeted Jubril’s fate.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Abeokuta on Sunday, said the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, Lagos, Mr. Sulaiman Salkai, had taken over the matter.
“The AIG has called for explanation on the matter; he has called for the case file, including the criminal and the disciplinary aspects. He has ordered Fashola to come and he is investigating the matter. He is studying the whole report,” Adejobi said.
The PPRO for Zone 2, Mr. Kennedy Odigwe, confirmed the intervention of the AIG in a telephone interview with our correspondent.
Odigwe said, “The story as published by PUNCH METRO has been so sympathetic and the AIG has decided to revisit the issue by looking into the matter. The court’s issue in the story is not a police matter, the one that concerns us is going to be addressed and this is the issue of the reinstatement and the promotion of a dismissed policeman.
“We are all human beings and the AIG as a man, who is very humane and sympathetic, was not happy at all after reading the publications. The story is so sympathetic and he is very much interested and will ensure that justice is done accordingly on the matter.”
He said all parties in the matter would be invited and a deputy commissioner in the zone had been assigned to look at the issue closely and interview all the necessary parties in the matter.
Jubril’s father, Mr. Clement Rasheed, lauded the police for revisiting the issue.
Clement said, “That is a good news to me. I will be very happy if the police can revisit the issue and ensure that justice is done to my son. I feel sad that such a heinous crime is committed and that the man, who committed the crime, is not punished.
“I was invited to witness the orderly room trial where the judgment was read to Fashola and he was declared guilty and dismissed over unjust use of firearms. I was there to witness all these. But I was surprised that after a few months, the policeman was not only reinstated but was promoted as well.
“Out of shock and disbelief, I went to the station to confirm and I saw him dressed in his new rank. I even stretched my hand to greet him but he refused to shake my hands probably out of fear that I have come with a charm or something else.”
Jubril also expressed joy when he learnt that police authorities had ordered a fresh probe into the matter.
“I am happy with this development; so many lies have been told against me and the present decision of the police will provide hope for me to get justice,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Command’s PPRO in a statement on Sunday insisted that Fashola was reinstated based on the Director of Public Prosecution’s advice that the policeman had no case to answer.
Adejobi said, “The command wishes to state that in accordance with democratic tenets and rule of law, there was a need for the command to review the dismissal of Fashola, having been discharged by a court of competent jurisdiction for the offence with which he was charged based on legal advice of DPP Ogun State, which also formed the basis for his police orderly room trial and dismissal in the first place. The review of his dismissal vis-à-vis the court’s judgment discharging him led to his reinstatement.”
But the Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Olaotan Olusegun, had on Thursday said the police in their report claimed that Jubril wanted to flee after he had been arrested and that accidental discharge occurred when the 23-year-old Ghanaian was being pursued by Fashola.
Besides, he said, “Unfortunately, we do not have the information that an orderly room trial was earlier conducted and that the policeman had been dismissed. The police did not disclose this to us.”
Source:http://www.punchng.com/
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