Man Killed By Gun-happy Policemen Had Plans To Wed In 2013

The driver of a Toyota Highlander shot dead by policemen in the Mushin area of Lagos State last Thursday was supposed to get married by the last quarter of 2013.

Santos Korie (Nwabueze Korie) was killed in his Toyota Highlander Sports Utility Vehicle around Daleko Bridge. Read story here.

The cousin of the deceased, Henry Madu, has revealed that Korie was engaged and was planning to get married later in the year.

“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,” he said.

“She has been crying since the incident occurred and we have been consoling her.”

Madu said Korie’s death was painful but it was more so because he was the breadwinner of his family.

“He has six siblings but their parents are late. Although he was the second child, he was the breadwinner,” Madu said.

“He was only 38 years old before his life was cut short by those who should have protected him.”

The police had refuted claims he was killed by policemen as they said Korie could have been killed by hired killers in police uniform.

Madu was however quick to fault the police’s theory, saying his cousin was never involved in any illegitimate business that would warrant his termination by anyone.

He said the circumstances surrounding Korie’s death showed that he was killed by overzealous policemen.

Madu who didn’t witness the killing said the deceased’s friend, Tochukwu Ofogene, told him that he (Korie) was shot in the face after being stopped by policemen.

“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 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, “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.”

“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.”

A copy of the death certificate said Korie died as a result of a “perforating gunshot injury to the left zygomatic area with skull fracture, subarachoin haemorrhage and cereberal contusion.”

Acting spokesperson for the Lagos state police command, Damascus Ozoani, said investigations were ongoing.