Policeman in viral car shooting video held

The policeman who was caught in a viral video shooting into a moving vehicle conveying a family has been arrested, The Nation learnt Wednesday.

A video shared on microblogging site, Twitter, by one Eweje Oyewole showed a Police Mobile Force (PMF) officer brandishing his AK47 rifle after firing the vehicle conveying a couple and their children at Dr. Nurudeen Olowopopo Way, Central Business District (CBD), Alausa.

Narrating what transpired in the video, Oyewole wrote that the unnamed policeman fired at the family’s vehicle and shattered the back windscreen because they refused to offer bribe.

“A police officer as seen in the video shot a car, broke the glass of a car because they refused to offer bribe, despite seeing that it was a family man, with the wife and kids,” he captioned the video.

According to him, the man’s wife fainted as soon as the cop shot at them, while his young kids were inconsolable after broken glasses fell on their seats.

Expectedly, the video generated public outcry with Nigerians demanding the arrest and dismissal of the trigger happy cop.

But hours later, Oyewole took to his page to announce that the victim called him and said he had forgiven the policeman and was no longer interested in pressing charges.

“I am honestly ashamed to admit that pushing this more won’t be possible, as the husband said they have begged him and paid him for repair of his car this morning (Monday), as such; he begged me to back down from pushing further. It’s painful but I cannot cry more than the bereaved. I am sorry,” he narrated.

However, the Commissioner of Police (CP) Hakeem Odumosu whose attention was drawn to the video already ordered an investigation into the incident.

According to spokesman Bala Elkana, the policeman was identified and the family contacted.

He said the cop was on escort duty when the unfortunate incident occurred.

“I am aware of that incident. The policeman is in custody and we have commenced an investigation into the circumstances that led to that incident. Nobody was injured, nobody was killed,” said Elkana.