Outrage as Lagos Clears Officers in Owode Onirin Killings

The Lagos State Ministry of Justice has released four police officers and a developer, Abiodun Ariori, who were accused in the Owode Onirin killings. This decision followed legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Babajid Martin, who concluded that the officers acted in self-defense during a mob attack.

The investigation reportedly failed to provide sufficient evidence to sustain charges of manslaughter, including critical autopsy reports and ballistic analyses. The incident involved the alleged shooting of six traders during a chaotic enforcement of a court order regarding land occupied by traders.

The police identified the officers as Musa Bala, Ahm Abass, Ibrahim Kasimu, and Ibrahim Garba. Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer representing the victims' families, plans to file a civil suit seeking compensation for the deceased's families, arguing that additional evidence should be pursued for justice.