The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, has directed the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Abiodun Alabi, to investigate the shooting by personnel attached to Grammy Award winner Burna Boy at Club Cubana on Wednesday in Lagos.
The Lagos State Police Commissioner’s Special Squad has also arrested five police officers attached to the singer for alleged attempted murder after they shot two clubbers, Irebami Lawrence and another identified simply as Tolu.
According to a preliminary police report by the Bar Beach Police Division in Lagos State, trouble started around 4 a.m. on Wednesday when the Grammy winner and five police escorts visited Club Cubana on Victoria Island.
Demand for justice
The family of Lawrence Irebami has demanded justice for him following an alleged murder attempt on his life by singer Burna Boy’s police escorts.
The police report stated that about four policemen waited outside while one of the police officers, identified as Inspector Ibrahim, who was in mufti, accompanied the 30-year-old into the club.
According to multiple witness statements, the singer was in the VIP section with three women when he spotted another woman.
One of the witnesses claimed that Burna Boy told Ibrahim to invite the woman to come to join him.
When we rushed him to the Naval Medic Center they said they had no blood and he needed 3 pints of O+ blood , they said none of us can donate because we had been drinking from the club and then my friend started to shake on the hospital bed like he was losing his life pic.twitter.com/08zlYPm8nO
— I Am The Flowolf 🐺 (@Theflowolf) June 12, 2022
However, the lady’s husband was said to have rebuked Burna Boy, insisting that it was disrespectful for any man to make advances on his wife.
After some minutes, Burna Boy reportedly made fresh advances toward the woman.
It further provoked her husband and friends who had gathered at the club, and the matter soon escalated.
I cant even tweet what Burna Boy 's people done to my guys infront of my eyes at club cubana yesterday cos i still cant believe it.
— I Am The Flowolf 🐺 (@Theflowolf) June 8, 2022
“As things were getting heated, Ibrahim brought out his service pistol and shot multiple times while Burna Boy was laughing,” said a senior policeman.
In the process, 27-year-old Irebami was shot in the thigh, while his friend, Tolu, was hit in the head by a bullet.
Irebami was rushed to Naval Medical Center, where he battled for his life.
Details
In a chat with The PUNCH, a brother to the victim, who identified himself only as Jide, said his brother had surgery to remove the bullet from his thigh on Friday.
He also called out the singer and management of the club while demanding justice for his brother.
Jide further stated that Irebami, based in the United States, had only arrived in Nigeria a week ago for a wedding when the unfortunate incident happened.
“My brother and his friends came in from the US for a wedding when this happened. The annoying part was that Burna Boy was laughing when this shooting occurred. He approved of what they did.
“One of the bullets grazed my brother’s friend in the head while my brother was shot in the thigh. He underwent surgery on Friday.”
According to Mr Jide, the Cubana people even denied that anything happened.
He said: ”They have not even reached out to us. It was only the morning of the shooting that a manager at the club, White Lion, interacted with us,”
However, Burna Boy is yet to make any statement about the recent developments.
The Grammy Award winner, who has been in the news since the incident happened on Wednesday has ignored the development and has been tweeting about different unrelated things on social media.
IG’s directive
A statement by Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer, entitled CLUB SHOOTING IN LAGOS, dated June 12, noted that the officers were in custody.
It added that the IGP had ordered the Lagos police boss to investigate the matter and report ” as urgently as possible”.
The statement is reproduced in full below:
RE: CLUB SHOOTING IN LAGOS. The Police personnel alleged and identified in the shooting incident at Club Cubana in Victoria Island, Lagos, on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, have been taken into custody and are being investigated for their involvement in the incident.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, who describes the circumstances surrounding the incident as unbelievable, has condemned the unfortunate incident in the strongest terms.
Consequently, the IGP has directed the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Abiodun Alabi, to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and forward his report as urgently as possible for further action.
