Sixteen years after a fatal shooting incident in Badagry, the family of a dismissed police sergeant has renewed calls for justice, alleging that their father was wrongly framed, abandoned by the system, and left to die without redress.



In an interview with The Punch, Semasa Ojo, son of the late Sergeant Samuel Ojo, said the case — which originated from a 2009 police operation in Morogbo, Badagry — devastated his family and was never properly concluded by the authorities.

What Happened at the Festive-Season Incident in Badagry

According to the account, the incident occurred on 28 December 2009, during a festive period operation to arrest suspected thugs following the assault of a police corporal. Sergeant Ojo, attached to the #Morogbo Police Station, was among officers deployed.

Ojo told The Punch that amid confusion caused by fireworks and gunshots, a civilian was struck by a bullet allegedly fired by a thug, not the police. He said ballistic evidence later confirmed that the bullet removed from the victim’s leg did not come from his father’s rifle.

Despite this, Sergeant Ojo was arrested, detained at Panti (SCID), Yaba, and eventually dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force. He was never charged in court.

Conflicting Case Files and a Missing Record

Years later, when the family sought clarity at the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Alausa, they discovered that no murder case existed under Samuel Ojo’s name. Instead, records showed an unrelated armed robbery file — deepening suspicions that the case had been mishandled or deliberately altered.

The family believes Sergeant Ojo, who had served 16 years at the Obalende Police Headquarters before requesting a transfer closer to Badagry due to stress, was framed shortly after arriving in the area.

Life After Dismissal

The dismissal abruptly ended the family’s income. Semasa Ojo said his mother turned to petty trading in Badagry, while he worked as a labourer to support the household.

The former officer later developed symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder, before being diagnosed with dementia in 2021. Financial constraints meant the family could not sustain medical treatment.

Sergeant Samuel Ojo died on 27 July 2025, aged 69.

Appeals to Police Authorities

The family said repeated letters to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Police Service Commission (PSC) yielded no resolution.

Hope briefly resurfaced when Semasa Ojo engaged former police spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi on social media in 2023. Adejobi reportedly referred the case to Benjamin Hundeyin, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer — himself a native of Badagry.

According to Ojo, #Hundeyin acknowledged that such errors occur within the force and advised the family to petition the PSC. He later told them the officer’s file had gone missing but was eventually traced after pressure was applied.

Despite assurances, the case remained unresolved before Sergeant Ojo’s death.

Calls for Closure and Compensation

The family is now asking for a full reopening of the case, payment of outstanding salaries, gratuity, and retirement benefits, as well as compensation for wrongful dismissal and prolonged detention.

Justice, they say, would mean recognition that a Badagry-based officer who served the nation was failed by the institution he worked for.