‘He Was Six Months Away From Retirement’: Police Narrate How CSP Abonde Was Killed

Police authorities in Lagos have given an account of how hoodlums killed a Chief Superintendent of Police, Kazeem Sumonu Abonde in the state, explaining that the late officer was a lawyer gearing up to retire from service in six months before settling down for his private practice. 

According to a statement by the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu, the hoodlums lynched the deceased at Ajao Estate during a raid of flashpoints and the enforcement of the ban on use of motorcycles in restricted areas in the estate.

“The enforcement commander, who was six months away from retirement, and his men, were carrying out a raid of identified flashpoints and enforcing the ban on motorcycles in restricted areas in the estate and similar restricted areas in the state,” the police spokesman said.

He identified the slain officer as part of a tactical team of the Lagos State Police Command with men drafted from RRS, Task Force, Ajao Estate Division, and other divisions.

Ajisebutu explained that the raid was a routine proactive approach aimed at curtailing activities of armed robbers and other criminals in the 

While making reference to the Transport Sector Reform Law (TSRL) 2018, the police spokesman explained that the law bans motorcycles from operating on 475 roads across the cosmopolitan state but there has been no compliance by motorcycle riders.

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He added, “After successful operations which led to the arrest of some of the suspects and other criminal elements, hoodlums in large numbers laid siege at the exit of the Ajao Estate and attacked the policemen with guns, cutlasses, and other dangerous weapons.

“Unfortunately, during the fatal attack, CSP Kazeem Abonde was brutally killed by the hoodlums. The DPO Ajao Estate, CSP Abdullahi Malla and other police officers equally sustained varying degrees of injuries.”

The murdered officer’s corpse has been deposited at the Yaba Mainland Hospital for autopsy.

The Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has since condemned the attack on the policemen carrying out their duties.

He directed that a discreet investigation be carried out into the incident, and vowed to ensure that all suspects responsible for the dastardly act would be brought to justice.