by ‘Jola Sotubo

In a classic case of a house divided against itself, a policeman has shot dead one of his own allegedly because of a woman.

Bitrus Andrew, a police corporal, yesterday allegedly killed one Olosuji Elegbede, an Assistant Superintendent, in Gashua town in Yobe State over a quarrel caused by a girlfriend.

According to reports, the incident occurred at about 9:05am after all efforts by a divisional police officer to resolve the issue failed.

A witness said the police corporal, popularly called Kwaba was bitter that his superior officer snatched a girl he had been with for the past eight years.

He said the junior officer was not happy that the divisional police officer rather than tell the assistant superintendent to leave the lady for him, warned him that it is a disrespectful act to struggle with his superior officer over a woman.

“The corporal picked up his rifle and shot the assistant superintendent five times on his chest and he dropped down and was taken to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead,” the witness said.

Another witness said Corporal Bitrus had been with the lady for over eight years, while the superior officer was just posted to the division.

“You know how ladies behave, the guy was a senior officer and had a car, so she forgot all the good time Bitrus had with her for over eight years and started going out with Olosuji,” he said.

Reacting, Yobe State Police Commissioner, Sanusi Ahmed Rufa’i, confirmed the incident and said that the assistant superintendent was shot dead by the corporal while trying to settle a misunderstanding that ensued between the corporal and his wife.

He said that the suspected killer corporal was arrested, while the victim’s corpse is at the Gashua General Hospital.