The atmosphere at the Mobile Police Force 20, in
the Ikeja area of Lagos, had been tense since
Tuesday after a police inspector, identified simply
as Medugwu, mistakenly shot himself dead, while
adjusting a faulty rifle.
The inspector, who was attached to MOPOL 20, was
the second-in-command to the armourer. At 10am,
a colleague had given him the faulty rifle to
examine and readjust for him, Medugwu was said
to have accidentally pulled the trigger of the rifle,
which projected a bulletin to his jaw.
Other policemen in the area were said to have
rushed to the scene and taken Medugwu to the
Lagos State University Teaching Hospital,
Ikeja.The inspector, however, died in the hospital
at about 1pm.
A policeman, who claimed to have witnessed the
accident, said Medugwu accidentally turned the
barrel of the rifle on himself during the check,
before his finger touched the trigger.
He said:
“He was the second-in-command at the
armoury in the MOPOL 20. A policeman brought
a faulty rifle to his office to examine. While he
was doing that, he mistakenly turned the barrel
of the gun on himself, and he mistakenly pulled
the trigger.
“We rushed him to LASUTH, where the medical
personnel battled to save his life. But, he died at
about 1pm. His head was badly injured.
Medugwu’s death shook all of us.”
Punch
