Police dismiss 3 officers who attacked asthmatic patient with tear gas

A statement issued on Sunday, June 10, by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Chike Oti said the officers were found guilty at an orderly room trial.

The victim, Solomon Ademuwagun, was said to have experienced a severe asthmatic crisis after the incident.

"The Lagos State Police Command wishes to inform members of the public that the Commissioner of Police, CP Edgal Imohimi, has dismissed three policemen, comprising an inspector and two sergeants, who were alleged to have sprayed tear gas on one Solomon Ademuwagun, which resulted in a severe asthmatic crisis. The incident took place at Chinese town, in the Ojota area of Lagos State", the statement said.

"The men, whose names and service numbers are Inspector Momoh Sulaiman (220957), Sergeant Emmanuel Monday (429659) and Sergeant Adamu Usman (434246), were tried in an orderly room which commenced on Saturday, and were found guilty as charged. They were, therefore, dismissed and de-kitted accordingly.

"However, the dismissal proceeding of Inspector Momoh Sulaiman has been forwarded to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, for approval."

Viral video

The police authorities took action after a video went viral on social media on Thursday, June 7, showing Ademuwagun groaning in pains on the road after he was sprayed tear gas by the cops.

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Rapper Michael Stephens better known as Ruggedman had escalated the video on Instagram, asking his followers to rebroadcast the video to draw the attention of the authorities.

"Urgent: anybody with information about the officer in this video should please directly message me. We need to trace him and find out what they did to the victim. It’s time we start taking action.

"Everybody repost this video until this officer and his team are found. It’s time to call out the police. We have him on video. Enough is enough," he wrote.

It was rumoured that the victim was shot labelled a fraudster and shot by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

ALSO READ: How Police attacked BBOG members with teargas

The police had on Saturday dismissed the report that the victim was shot by SARS operatives, saying the erring policemen had been arrested.

In a follow-up statement on Sunday, the authorities announced that the officers have been dismissed.