Wife of conductor killed by policeman seeks justice

Kafayat Adeoye, whose bus conductor-husband, Kazeem, was shot dead by a trigger-happy policeman on November 7, 2012, at Tipper Garage, Ketu, Lagos, over N50 change, has called on police authorities to ensure that justice is done.

Kazeem was shot dead by a policeman attached to the Mopol 50, Abuja, Corporal Oluwakiyesi Adegboyega,

Kafayat and her husband had a seven-year-old son.

 PUNCH Metro tracked down Kazeem’s wife on Saturday; at the time of the incident, no one knew the deceased’s family.

Kafayat stated that she was more devastated because her husband was killed by a policeman who is paid to protect members of the public.

While Kazeem was struggling to make end meets in Lagos, his wife and son live in Osogbo, Osun State.

Kafayat said, “My husband has not seen his son in the last three years, not because he did not want to, but because it has been hard for me to bring him to Lagos.

“I was planning to bring my son to see his father soon. Kazeem sent money for his upkeep, asking each time when he would be able to see his son.”

 The son would only have an opportunity to see his father’s corpse on Friday, when his remains will be buried at his hometown in Iragbiji, Osun State.

 Like many innocent people, who had lost their lives as a result of police shootings in the past, the police authorities have neither explained what happened to Kazeem’s family nor apologise.

“I only heard from relations that he was killed by a policeman. Nobody has said anything; police authorities have not sent any message or requested our presence on the matter. My husband must not die in vain, justice must prevail,” Kafayat said.

The only sympathy the conductor’s wife got came from an association, in which her husband was a member – Bus Conductor Association of Nigeria- was N38,000 donation.

National President of BCAN, Mr. Adesola Israel, said Kazeem was a member of the Kosofe branch.

“The killing of Kazeem was barbaric. This association as a law-abiding group is calling on the Inspector- General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, to ensure justice is done. The man who murdered Kazeem who left behind a wife, child and aged parents must not go unpunished,” he said.

Kazeem was shot in the head at close range.

Eyewitnesses had said there was an altercation between Kazeem and Adegboyega, who brought out his service pistol and shot the conductor dead.

The incident led to a riot that was later quelled by policemen. Thinking that the policeman was attached to the Alapere Police Division, bus conductors and commercial bus drivers had attempted to set fire to a nearby police station.

When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Ngozi Braide, said she had no information on Adegboyega asking that she should be given time to find out the level of the investigation carried out.

She had said after the incident in November that Adegboyega was in custody of the State Criminal Investigation Department. But since then, nothing has been heard on the trigger-happy policeman. By punch.