Policeman detained over rape suspect’s death in Lagos

A middle-aged man has been killed by the police in Lagos for alleged rape, it was learnt yesterday.

The incident occurred at Iju-Ishaga, a Lagos suburb on Saturday afternoon.

A woman reportedly went to the nearby Iju Police Station, popularly known as "Red House’, to incident a case of alleged rape against a man simply identified as Dele.

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was said to have ordered some of his men to arrest the suspect.

A source said when a police team went to arrest the suspect, he (the suspect), reportedly mobilised street urchins, popularly known as "Area Boys", to attack them.

It was in the confusion that ensuing one of the policemen fired a shot that hit Dele.

But another source said Dele was killed in the house of the woman, who is said to be a friend to one of the policemen sent to arrest him.

The source said the policeman had severally warned the deceased, who is popularly known in the area as "Dele 7 Up" to leave the woman.

He said immediately the policeman got information that Dele was at his lover’s home, he mobilised some of his colleagues with whom they stormed the place.

It was learnt that after killing Dele, the policeman and his colleagues took away his body and dumped it in a bush path.

Police spokesman Frank Mba said the woman who reported the case was in protective custody.

"It was based on the report of the woman that policemen moved in to arrest the suspect. I do not know where the issue of fighting over a woman came into this matter. There was no such thing," he said.

Mba said when Dele was shot,the DPO ordered that his body be taken to the General Hospital, Ikeja. From there, he was moved to Igbobi where he died.

He said the policeman who killed Dele was being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba.