SAD : Killer cops’ victim, (Korie), was set to wed

The motorist, who was killed by policemen in the Mushin area of Lagos State last Thursday was to get
married by the last quarter of 2013.

PUNCH Metro had reported last Friday that Santos Korie (Nwabueze Korie), was killed in his Toyota
Highlander Sports Utility Vehicle around Daleko Bridge. The cousin of the deceased, Henry Madu, told our correspondent that Korie was engaged and was planning to get married this year.
He said, “He was engaged and was planning his traditional wedding already. His fiancee is a National Youth Service Corps member and he was waiting for her to finish this July before getting married to her. “She has been crying since the incident occurred and we have been consoling her.”
Madu told our correspondent that Korie’s death was painful because he was the breadwinner to his siblings.
He said, “He has six siblings but their parents are late. Although he was the second child, he was the breadwinner. “He was only 38 years old before his life was cut short by those who should have protected him.”
The police had also claimed that Korie was probably killed by hired killers in police uniform.
Madu however faulted this theory, saying his cousin was never involved in any illegitimate business and did not have enemies that would want to eliminate him.
He said the circumstances surrounding Korie’s death showed that he was killed by overzealous policemen. He said although he did not witness the killing, the deceased’s friend, Tochukwu Ofogene, told him that
he (Korie) was shot in the face after being stopped by policemen.
He said, “My cousin was driving while his friend, Tochukwu, was on the passenger side. They were coming from FESTAC but on getting to Iyana-Isolo, they noticed a road-block due to an ongoing construction.
“They wanted to ascend the Daleko Bridge so a newspaper vendor advised them to drive against
traffic in order to connect the bridge. It was while they were about ascending that the two policemen
accosted them.
“A policeman stood by the driver side while the other stood by the passenger side. As he was trying to
explain himself, they cocked their guns. As he was about to park properly, the policeman by his side
opened fire. Then they both fled.”
Madu said Korie’s vehicle lost control and rammed into a truck carrying sachet water. He said the
matter was later reported at Area D Command. Madu said officials of the Lagos State Traffic
Management Authority also brought two guns believed to have been dumped by the policemen to
the Area D Command. He said the deceased’s corpse was deposited at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital mortuary after it had been rejected at Isolo General Hospital.
He said, “It was at Area D that I got involved. I saw my cousin’s corpse stained with blood all over. It was a gory sight. After depositing money at the mortuary, we were all taken to the state police command headquarters. “By then, two policemen and one civilian, Sylvester had been arrested. We were taken to the Commissioner of Police’s office where he asked the policemen if they were the ones that killed by cousin
but they denied it.
“The CP however ordered that they be detained.” While trying not to betray his emotion, Madu recalled the last time he saw the deceased. He said they were very close and had even planned his own wedding together.
He said, “I spent the Easter with him and we were together four days before he was killed. We spoke
about many things. “He said he wanted to make sure that his younger ones would not suffer the way he did. He had a good heart.
“In fact, he told me that he would hire a live band to come and perform at my church wedding which is due to hold this October.” PUNCH Metro learnt that detectives at the SCID had visited the crime scene and had also taken pictures of the vehicle.
It was learnt that an autopsy had been conducted on the deceased.
A copy of the death certificate made available to our correspondent said Korie died as a result of a
 “perforating gunshot injury to the left zygomatic area with skull fracture, subarachoin haemorrhage and cereberal contusion.”
The acting spokesperson for the state police command, Damascus Ozoani, said investigations
were ongoing. 
Source : PUNCH