A human right lawyer and senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has requested for an inquest into the death of a police officer, Monday Orukpe, and others injured at Trade Fair section of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway on August 3, 2022.
In a letter to the Chief Coroner, High Court of Lagos State, signed by Taiwo E. Olawanle, a counsel in Falana & Falana’s chambers, the firm requested a coroner’s inquest to be conducted into the cause of the death of the police officer and make appropriate recommendations under Section 15 of the Lagos State Coroner’s Law 2007.
The lawyer added that according to the law, an inquest shall be held whenever a coroner is informed that the death of a deceased person within his Coroner District is as a result of a death in a violent, unnatural or suspicious situation.
“Precisely on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, it was alleged that about 30 privates of the Nigerian Army, while on transit at the Trade Fair section of the ever-busy Lagos-Badagry Expressway attacked five policemen for stopping vehicles along their lane to pave way for other vehicles to pass.
“Angered by this development, the soldiers heavily descended on the senior officer leading the team of policemen and eventually murdered one Inspector Monday Orukpe and injured four others,” said the human rights lawyer.
The lawyer explained, “save for the maturity and skill” of the officers of the Nigeria Police Force involved, the event would have left many injured and killed innocent civilians going about their normal business activities.
“Having regard to the avoidable tragic incident, we humbly request you to use your good offices to cause a thorough investigation into this allegation and fish out the members of the Nigerian Army, who carried out this uncivilised act on the personnel of a sister security agency carrying out their constitutional mandates,” he demanded.
