Akin Kuponiyi
An Ebute Metta Chief Magistrates Court, south west Nigeria has remanded an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) Innocent Oshemi for allegedly killing of his colleague and another Korean citizen.
The presiding Chief Magistrate M. C. Ayinde, ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody and the duplicate case file be sent to the Director of Public Prosecution DDP, for legal advice.
Oshemi 32, committed the offence at the Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics (LADOL) where he was guarding the LADOL Free Zone.
Oshime 32 allegedly shot and killed his colleague, Mamman Wuyah 28 and severely injured a Korean staff Taekkun Kang 47, working at the fabrication and integration yard of Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) located in the free zone.
He was alleged to have gone on a rampage around the SHI-MCI yard, killing his colleague during an argument and shooting a Korean SHI-MCI employee operating a crane within the yard at the time.
The defendant, who was sent to LADOL Free Zone by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, was tasked with the responsibility of defending the Samsung yard from any external attack.
The Korean employee who was taken to hospital and underwent surgery, over injuries as a result of the incident, later died.
After the incident the defendant who was about escaping from the scene of the incident was apprehended by the other staff of LADOL and was detained and taken into custody by Apapa police.
Oshemi allegedly committed the offence on April 8, at about 1:55pm, at LADOL, free zone Tarkwa -Bay lsland.
The defendant killed the deceased with a G3, Riffle issued to him, by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), for guard duties.
The offence allegedly committed by the accused is Contrary to Sections 222 and Punishable Under Sections 223 of the criminal law of Lagos State 2015.
However his plea was not taken.
Consequently the Prosecutor Sergeant Adetutu Sanusi applied that the defendant be remanded in prison custody.
But defence counsel S.O. Ogunbiyi said: “Remand proceedings are not automatic.
He cited Section 264 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2015, which provides that the prosecution must satisfy the court as to why the defendant should be remanded.
“The law allows the court to make an enquiry as to whether it is an appropriate case for remand. We shall be urging the court to do same in this case.”
Magistrate Ayinde asked about the case from the Investigative Police Officer, Mr Oderinde Gaffar.
Gaffar answered: “The scene of the crime was visited. The point where the first deceased (Wuyah) was shot as well as where the second deceased (Kang) was also shot were visited. The second deceased was shot about 15 yards near where the first deceased was shot. We’ve visited the hospital where the deceased were taken. The CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) which covers the area and captured the incident has also been retrieved.”
Magistrate Ayinde, however, granted the prosecution’s application.
She said: “I’ve gone through the case file and I am of the view that there are further questions requiring some explanation.
“I therefore ordered that the defendant should be remanded in prison custody for 30 days, pending legal advice on the matter from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The matter was later adjourned till June, 6, 2019, for DPP’s advice.