The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed an officer that reportedly shot a former member of the House of Representatives, Opeyemi Bamidele, and two others at a campaign rally organised for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ekiti State governorship candidate, Kayode Fayemi.
The State Commissioner of Police, Bello Ahmed, confirmed this on Monday when he made an appearance on Channels Television’s breakfast show, Sunrise Daily.
“The policeman involved is dismissed already and even though he’s nursing some injury; at the appropriate time, he will face the law of course.
“Nigerians will be briefed on the outcome of our actions,” he said.
The Police boss also revealed that the politician that brought the erring cop was in detention and that at the appropriate time, he would be charged to court.
Speaking further, Ahmed reiterated the readiness of the Police to ensure a hitch-free governorship election in the state.
“We have robust arrangement to regulate and observe these political activities as its unwinding in Ekiti State, in fact in the entire state. We just got a robust deployment of mobile policemen and that will be increased as the campaigns are progressing.
“You know what is on the ground will determine what will be done. If the situation on ground dictates we behave otherwise, we will do, provided it is within the confines of the law. This morning (Monday) I’ll be having a meeting with all the political chairmen. We have programmes for them.
“We are going to regulate every inch of activity in the state. We will not sit down and tolerate any act of lawlessness, whoever is involved. We are willing and competent to take action against any group or persons, either individual or groups as far this campaign is concerned.”
His comments come three days after Mr Bamidele was shot in Ado Ekiti, the state capital during the APC rally.
Contrary to beliefs in some quarters that the attack was an assassination attempt, the Police boss explained it was an accidental discharge.
“It is not true. We should not be making politics out of situations,” he said.
“I believe it was an accidental discharge because no right-thinking policeman will cork and start shooting.
“He might have corked his riffle before arriving that scene and you know how crowded political activities are always.
“I believe as the campaign was almost finishing, he might have touched the trigger that pulled out the bullet,” the CP explained.
