Lagos police officer shot dead while mediating public altercation

• The Adamawa Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje, confirmed the unfortunate incident, adding that a suspect has been arrested

A policeman, Inspector Richard Felix, has been shot dead during a public brawl in Adamawa state.

The incident happened just after midnight on new year’s day near the cop’s house in Jambutu, Yola North LGA of the state.

Felix, a mobile police officer serving in Lagos State, was reportedly killed by a thug while trying to settle the brawl.

The Adamawa Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje, confirmed the unfortunate incident, adding that a suspect has been arrested.

He said: “It’s true. We got the report; we rushed him to the hospital. He was killed. One suspect was even arrested. The Commissioner of Police has directed that the case be transferred to the State CID for us to know who were the attackers, who were behind it and what prompted it.

“We learnt that some thugs attacked the policeman who was not in uniform. We did not know why he was attacked. When police officers in Jambutu got to the scene, they rushed him to the Specialist Hospital in Yola, but the doctor said he was brought in dead.”

According to a report, Inspector Richard Felix was shot outside a joint close to his house.

It was gathered that he was shot by one of the youths involved in the fight.

A family friend of the deceased, who spoke to newsmen in confidence, disclosed that Felix had gone to the relaxation joint when he saw youths engaged in a heated argument which was about to degenerate into full melee.

He walked over to them and intervened, but as he was walking away from the scene, one of the youths seized the gun of a vigilante who had been part of the crowd and shot him (Felix) in the back.

“The crowd scampered out of the place when the man got shot, leaving the man to bleed to death,” our source explained.

As the police later confirmed, Felix had died by the time he was taken to the Specialist Hospital, Yola.

It was gathered that Felix, who was in Yola to spend the New Year with his family, planned to attend a cross over service that fateful Sunday night.

He was said to have told his wife to go ahead, that he would join her in church.

The wife was later informed a few minutes into the new year that her husband had been shot dead.