Officer who killed corps member "is not a mad man" - Police

The Nigeria Police Force has explained the event that led to the unfortunate

Igwetu, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), was on her way home with friends around 3 am on Wednesday, July 4, 2018, when she was killed by a police officer, identified as Inspector Benjamin Peters.

The officer shot at the vehicle Igwetu was riding in because he claimed he believed she was a kidnap victim.

While speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, July 9, 2018, Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Jimoh Moshood, said the officer shot at the tire of the vehicle to stop it after it failed to heed instructions to stop.

He said the victim was shouting and jubilating amidst loud music, which the officer claimed led to his confusion about what was really happening.

He said, "Let me give you an example of misinformation. The current issue of the shooting of the youth corper. The policeman that carried out the shooting is not a madman.

"The youth corper was travelling in a vehicle with a roof top and because of the jubilant atmosphere concerning her passing out the following day and the issue of her being retained by the organisation she was serving in, around 2, 3am in the night, came out of the roof and was shouting, jubilating, and loud music was being played. And the officer said he heard that the girl is calling for help and is being kidnapped.

"The vehicle was flanked down at the point and the vehicle did as if it's going to stop and zoomed off. And in the process, the officer attempted incapacitating the vehicle by firing a shot at the tire of the vehicle there's a regurgitation of the bullet that hit the lady."

The officer responsible for the shooting has already been dismissed from the Police Force, a dismissal that DCP Moshood said was due to his violation of firearms procedure.

"The police has found it that all the procedure that are expected under the use of firearms were not employed and that is why he was found guilty. The court of law is there for everybody to be properly heard," he said.

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DCP Moshood also sympathised with the family of the deceased who was due to complete her service year on Thursday, July 5, just a day before her murder.