Ketu Boxing Day Tragedy: How Trigger-Happy Policeman Murdered My Children — Mother

Mrs. Beatrice Oyesunle, the 75-year-old mother of the deceased twin brothers; The hotel where the policeman first confronted the victims (Image source: Vanguard.com)

* Narrates last conversation with deceased children

* We’ll investigate deceased killer cop — CP

Mrs Beatrice Oyesunle, the 75-year-old mother of the twin brothers who were shot to death by a drunk Mobile Police Sergeant, weekend, alongside their friend, in Ketu area of Lagos, yesterday said the death of her only surviving children had crumbled her world. This is just as one of the children, Taiwo Oyesunle, was discovered to be a Naval personnel attached to the Nigerian Navy Ship Wey, Satelite.

Vanguard report continues:

Taiwo, with his identical twin brother, Kehinde (34) and their friend, identified simply as Jeje were said to have gone to Paulson hotel, on Anibaba Street to book for a room for the latter’s girlfriend who would be returning to the country Saturday night.

On reaching the hotel, they were reportedly accosted by a gun wielding Mobile policeman, Sergeant Stephen James, attached to MOPOL 22, Ikeja, who demanded for a bottle of beer.

Vanguard gathered that one of the guests told the visitors not to buy any alcoholic drink for him (policeman) as he had already taken three bottles of beer and a local drink popularly called Alomo bitters.

But James with Force number 217884 was said to have threatened to shoot them if they refused to do his bidding. The guests according to eye witnesses, cautioned him to comport himself in a manner befitting of a responsible security agency, unknown to them that they had incurred Sergeant James’ wrath.

Report had it that while the trio were leaving the premises, Sergeant James corked his riffle and opened fire first at Jeje, who was celebrating his birthday same day, in his right rib and elbow, killing him on the spot.

Sensing all was not well, eye witnesses told Vanguard yesterday that Taiwo who was clad in an ash shirt and navy blue trousers, attempted to flee the scene, only to be dragged back on his collar by the trigger happy cop who shot in his head, killing him also on the spot.

At this point, eye witnesses further said that Kehinde stood, pleading with the policeman to spare his life. But before he could finish the statement, a bullet from Sergeant James plunged his left ribs, causing him to fall. Another bullet was reportedly lodged in his buttocks by James.

Thereafter, Sergeant James was said to have knelt down and shot himself in the chest, with the bullet launching out from his back.

Double tragedy

Speaking with Vanguard the deceased twin brother 75-year-old mother, Mrs Beatrice Oyesunle, described the demise of her children as a double tragedy for her.

The first time fate dealt her a cruel blow was reportedly six months ago, following the death of her husband. While smarting from that, news of her only surviving children’s death followed.

Finding it difficult to believe what has happened, mama, as she is fondly called asked rhetorically, “where are my twins and my only source of survival? Where do I start from? Who do I run to? Are you sure they are dead?”

At a point, her speech was no longer coherent, thereby causing her to be placed on sedative, which put her to sleep.

After six hours of rest, she woke and spoke with this reporter, saying: “when I lost my husband six months ago, they (children) told me they would take his place by ensuring I lacked nothing, even if it meant them going hungry. They kept to their words by giving me money on monthly basis.

The last time I set my eyes on them was on Christmas day, when they came visiting. They brought a live brawler and promised to come with money with which I would celebrate the New Year. I never knew that day would not come”.

Continuing, she said: “While in church on Saturday, my children called me on my mobile phone. But I could not pick. After the church service, I dialled their lines severally without response. I never suspected anything cruel had befallen them, until my child hood friend called, and requested that I should rush down to her place to settle a score between Taiwo and his fiancé. But to my shock when I got here, they broke the most devastating news of my entire 75 years to me.

“My only hope for survival are gone. The children that brought me solace are gone. They were my eyes, my everything. They promised to build me a house for me, so that I would not die as a tenant in Lagos. All those tall dreams have gone down the drain. Where do I start from at this age? Who will call me mummy? The only children I have in heaven and earth are gone. Ah! Aye mi o” she exclaimed in Yoruba language.

How we survived being shot — Eye witnesses

Some guests at the hotel who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity disclosed that they escaped death by the whiskers during the shooting spree by the deceased cop.

One of them said: “Before shooting himself, he had threatened to kill up to thirty persons. After shooting the three men, he pointed the gun at my direction bragging that he had made do his threat. I thought I was also going to end 2015 like others on the ground. I closed my eyes, anticipating the worst to happen. Then, all of a sudden, I heard a gunshot and concluded all had ended, only to open my eyes to discover he shot himself.”

Another resident who gave his name simply as EBA said “I escaped being shot by the MOPOL in August. I am a plumber. I went to work in a building by the the hotel. When he saw me he asked what I was going to do there. Before I could respond, he corked his riffle and threatened to shoot me. It was the hotel manager that calmed him down. Since then, I have not been there until Saturday when I heard he finally made do his threat.”

Some of the residents suspected that the deceased cop was on an illegal duty at the hotel, as they claimed he had been there for over two years, without any policeman taking over for him. They also blamed the hotel manager for the calamity that befell mama, saying, had he reported the misconduct of the deceased policeman to the appropriate quarters, the tragedy would have been averted.

When Vanguard arrived 3 Dairo Street, where the deceased twin brothers and their late friend, Jeje, shared a room apartment respectively, their doors were still under lock and key. The clothes they hung on the line that fateful day were later brought in by one of their neighbours.

CP visits scene

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Tunde Owoseni who visited scene of the shooting, described the incident as devastating.

The visibly saddened command boss said: “The IGP is also saddened by this incident. All what he (policeman) did negates the stands of the IGP that we should respect sanctity of life and that we should perform our duty with the observance of the rule of law and observe and respect the rights of the citizens.

“We will investigate the matter to know whether he was posted here or not. By the time we put the pieces and bits of everything together, we will know the reason for his presence here. I have meant with the family,” he said.

Asked if there was any plan to compensate the bereaved family, he simply responded “that will be too hasty.”

The victims and the policeman who killed himself

Lagos Policeman Kills Twin Brothers, Their Friend, Himself

A drunk policeman, Stephen James, on Saturday shot dead three male customers at a hotel in the Ketu area of Lagos State. SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that among the deceased were twin brothers identified as Taiwo and Kehinde Oyesunle and their friend known simply as Jeje. The twins were the only children of their mother.

The tragic incident; which happened outside the premises of Paulson Hotel on Anibaba Street around 4:20pm, threw the entire neighbourhood and its environs into chaos with passers-by and residents scampering in different directions.

According to eyewitnesses, trouble started when the police sergeant with Force number 217884, threatened to shoot customers if they failed to buy him an alcoholic drink. The policeman, who was said to be a habitual smoker of marijuana, however, felt offended after the victims – Taiwo, Kehinde and Jeje – cautioned him to comport himself as an adult and a responsible policeman.

The eyewitnesses said the policeman ambushed and killed the three young men, who were in their early 30s, as they stepped outside the hotel premises where they had gone to celebrate Jeje’s birthday.

When the gravity of his act dawned on him, the policeman reportedly shot himself in the chest.

A guest at the hotel, who witnessed the killings, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the policeman had boasted about wanting to kill people hours before the incident happened.

The customer, who identified himself only as Femi, said all efforts to pacify the policeman proved abortive as he kept fomenting trouble and harassing visitors with his gun all afternoon.

 “I was in the bar when the policeman first came in and threatened to shoot customers if they failed to buy him drinks. He boasted that he felt like killing someone today, but other customers and I pleaded with him.

“When the three guys walked in and sat, he went to them and threatened them too. But the guys told him to calm down that they would take care of him but he should comport himself as a responsible police officer.

“Nobody knew he took offence with their statement. The police officer shot the three guys one after the other as they stepped outside the hotel before killing himself. The whole thing happened like a movie,” he said.

Another resident Ladipo Idowu told our correspondents that the policeman was known to foment trouble in the area.

He said James usually fired his gun indiscriminately and the residents had warned the hotel authorities to caution him but nothing was done about it.

Another eyewitness, Dada Salawu, said, he was passing by when he saw the policeman and the three friends exchanging words. He said hardly had he left the area when the policeman opened fire on the victims.

A former girlfriend to one of the slain twins told SUNDAY PUNCH that they were the only children of their parents.

The lady, who was inconsolable as she spoke to one of our correspondents, said the twins were still mourning the death of their father who passed away in June 2014 when their lives were cut short.

Refusing to have her picture taken, she said, “I called them very early on Saturday morning not to go outside their compound after I dreamt of seeing blood. I called them again at about 2:00pm to warn them. The twins, however, decided to drive a vehicle a relation had just bought at about 3:00pm. They drove to Paulson Hotel.”

The Sports Utility Vehicle which the victims drove was still parked in front of the hotel by the time our correspondents left the scene.

An angry mob, which later gathered at the scene of the tragedy, attempted to burn down the hotel and destroy properties within its premises.

As irate youths threw bottles and stones at the hotel, lodgers ran out of their rooms with their luggage and fled the scene. As at the time of filing this report, the hotel had been completely deserted by staff and guests.

The youths also wanted to burn the corpse of the policeman, but policemen, who later got to the scene pleaded with them.

Policemen led by the Divisional Police Officer of the Ketu Police Station arrived at the scene at about 5.30 pm to carry the corpses away.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joe Offor, confirmed the killings to our correspondents on the telephone. However, he said he had not yet received the full details of the incident.

DSP Joe Offor said, “The policeman was on duty at that hotel. He was attached to Mopol 22, Ikeja. He was drunk while on duty and he acted under the influence of alcohol.”

Efforts to speak with the management of the hotel on the incident proved abortive as it was deserted as of 6.30pm when one of our correspondents left the scene.

When one of our correspondents visited the home of the twins at No. 3, Dairo Street, Ketu, a sea of sympathizers were gathered, while friends of the victims vowed to revenge the killing. The entire neighbourhood was in tension with nearby hotels, drinking joints and shops closing for business earlier than usual.