20-year-old man arrested by Police officers for shooting himself (Photo)

A 20-year-old security man, Meshack Samuel, has been arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for shooting himself.

The police described the incident as “robbers’ accidental discharge.”Samuel is being detained for alleged illegal possession of fire arm.His action led to the arrest of his friends in Awoyaya Street, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.

According to the command’s spokesperson, Ken Nwosu,the suspects were arrested following complaints by people, who alerted them on hearing the sound of gunshot.

Samuel told reporters that he ran into trouble when he asked a friend to help get a gun for protection from hoodlums and cult boys.

“After relocating from Abuja to Lagos, I got a job as a security man from Threeshat Guard Security Company; the company posted me to Coscharis Motors on a monthly salary of N18, 500.

“My trouble started when I told my friend Adams that I needed a gun to protect myself from the menace of the hoodlums and cult boys in Awoyaya. He brought one Double Barrel gun and said he would sell it for N20, 000 and I told him that I don’t have such amount of money. He later promised to exchange it with my laptop which cost more than the gun.When he brought the gun, I tried to test it to know whether it was working, I just heard gbosa and my right hand started bleeding profusely. I knew I have shot myself.

Adams took me to General Hospital and told the doctor that I was shot by some hoodlums in Awoyaya who he claimed to be cult boys. The doctor told us to bring a police report before he could treat me. Adams rushed to Elemoro Police Station.
“Surprisingly, as we entered the police station, we saw one of our neighbours there who went to report us. He pointed at us and told police ‘that is the man, see his bullet wound.’ Police quickly arrested us and transferred us to SARS.

“When the SARS asked me what I intended to do with a gun, I told them that I wanted to defend myself from cult boys. Thereafter, they searched Adams’ house and recovered the gun with two kitchen knives. There, SARS officers arrested Emmanuel.”

Emmanuel, who also works as a security man guarding MTN Mast, said he picked the gun from bush.

“I later dropped it but Adams said he would take it. When I heard that they were arrested, I went to police as a good friend to know why they were arrested. There, Adams told the police that I was the one who gave him the gun which I accepted,” he said.

Adams said he was arrested for trying to help a friend.

“I am a security man opposite Mayfair at Awoyaya area. Police arrested me because I had a gun I wanted to sell to solve my family problem. I did not rob with the gun. I needed money desperately and it is only the gun that has value to give me the change (N20, 000) I desperately needed. I am not an armed robber but a business man trying to help a friend,” he said.

- TheNation