Alibor Newman, a policeman, who allegedly shot a 62-year-old man, Mr. Sunday Awoyera, in the face at a checkpoint in Atan Kekere, Ipaja, Lagos on August 2, 2008, set up the checkpoint on his own volition and was not authorised to do so, the Investigative Police Officer of the case has told a Yaba Chief Magistrates Court, Lagos.The IPO, Patrick Nnagu, who said this during cross-examination, also told the court that the other two unnamed policemen who witnessed the alleged crime were found to be innocent after an "orderly room trial.""After the three of them were apprehended, I conducted my investigation and they were subjected to an orderly room trial, in which the two accomplices said Newman was the one who shot the victim," he said.The IPO also revealed that Awoyera was shot at close range with an AK-47 rifle by Newman.Nnagu read the statement made by Awoyera, which stated, "One of the three policemen, who stopped us, checked our bus and when he realised that we were all in the same attire, he waved us through. "Suddenly, Newman, who was a little farther away from the man who checked us, came along as we were moving and started hitting the bus with the butt of his gun, shouting that we should stop. I explained to him that his colleague had already done the checking and certified us okay. "Newman got angry at this point and started threatening that he would shoot me if I argued with him. He said, I will shoot you and run away, and nothing would happen. Everybody in the bus was begging him not to shoot. At a point, he aimed at the ground beside the front tyre and fired. "He immediately dipped his hand inside his pocket and produced a bullet, which he inserted in the gun. He pointed the gun at me through the drivers window and shot me at point-blank range in the jaw. That was the last thing I knew until I woke up at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos." The Prosecutor, Cpl. Uwadione Chinalu, asked the court for an adjourned date to enable him to call another witness for cross-examination. He said the witness was a doctor who treated Awoyera.On June 13, 2011, THE PUNCH had published a story on Awoyera seeking the payment of the N10m damages awarded to him against the Inspector General of Police by a Lagos High Court for the injury he sustained after being shot by Newman.After surviving the attack, his lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, had sued the IGP, joining Newman as the second respondent, to demand payment of the damages to his client. Justice J.O.K. Oyewole, had awarded the damages on February 18, 2010, which has yet to be paid. A letter signed by Dr. Oyapero Afolabi of LASUTH on behalf of Dr. Okoturo Eyituoyo, and addressed to the law firm of Falana, stated that the gunshot destroyed most of Awoyeras jaw."There was severe tissue loss in the lower 1/3 of the right side of the face and bone loss in the body of the right mandible," the letter stated in part.Newman, who is now dismissed from the police, is standing trial before the court for attempting to kill Awoyera by shooting him, an offence which contravenes and is punishable under Section 320 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State, 2003.
Click here to read full news..
