Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command, have launched an intensive manhunt for killers of one Adekunle, a student of University of Lagos, who was reportedly shot by a group of hoodlums while trying to retrieve the mobile phone of a lady from fleeing robber.
Adekunle, who was only recognised by his Automotive Teller Machine (ATM), card was said to have been shot dead by armed robbers at Harvey Road, Moore Road Junction, in the Yaba area of the state, as he gave chase to the robber, who snatched the phone from one Opeyemi on Saturday.
Both students of UNILAG, had boarded a shuttle bus from Yaba to UNILAG on the same day, only for a man, who was hanging at the back of the bus, to snatch the the iPhone 7 plus from the female student and started fleeing with it, only for Adekunle, who had been alerted by the shouting of the agitated Opeyemi to give chase to the fleeing robber.
However the yet to be identified robber, got help as Adekunle was closing in on him, when another hoodlum suspected to be an accomplice to the fleeing robber, appeared from nowhere and shot the 23-year-old.
The PUNCH, quotes an eyewitness who does not want his name mentioned for security reasons, said the robber’s accomplice shot Adekunle in the head, adding that the undergraduate died on the spot.
“The incident happened on June 3 around 9pm. What happened was that someone shot the deceased at a close range on the left side of his head and he died on the spot. An ATM card found on him bears the name Adekunle.
“Later on, we gathered from a girl that gave her name as Opeyemi, who claimed to be a student of Business Administration, UNILAG, that she and the deceased, whom she knew as a student of UNILAG, boarded a shuttle bus from Yaba and were heading to UNILAG when she got dispossessed of her iPhone 7 Plus by a thief hanging at the back of the bus.
“She said the deceased attempted to help by pursuing the robber but in the process, another group of persons came out and one of them shot him at a close range on the left side of his head and he died on the spot,” he said adding that policemen, who arrived at the scene later, evacuated the victim’s corpse and deposited it at the morgue of the Mainland Hospital.
Confirming the incident, Benjamin Hundeyin, Superintendent of Police (SP), said the command had commenced an investigation to track down the suspects behind the attack, adding: “The deceased was a UNILAG student. The suspects are being trailed for possible arrest and the command has contacted the victim’s relatives. The case has been transferred to the SCID, Panti, for discreet investigation.”
