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Wound Ballistics, Reasonable Force and Anini's Incapacitation

NCJ Number
116195
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1988) Pages: 131-135
Author(s)
P E Igbinovia
Date Published
1988
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Lawrence Nomayagbon Anini, 26 years old, was Nigeria's most notorious armed robber.
Abstract
His image was larger than life, dwarfing those of Ishola Oyenusi, the King of robbers in the 1970s and Youpelle Dakuro, the army deserter who masterminded the most vicious daylight robber in Lagos in 1978 in which two policemen were killed. Anini spear-headed a four-month reign of terror between August and December 1986 that gripped part of Nigeria. While he and his gang reigned, they killed, maimed, kidnapped, robbed, and raped their victims. The episodes were replicated with increasing sophistication, brazenness and arrogance. At the end of it all, 20 persons - 11 policemen and nine civilians were dead. Indeed, Anini's siege on Nigeria has been described as ' a nightmare' and 'a metaphor of horror.' Perhaps Justice Omo-Agege, the Chairman of the First Benin Robbery and Firearms Tribunal which tried Anini and his cohorts, said it best when he wrote: 'Anini will forever be remembered in the history of crime in this country, but it would be of unblessed memory. Few people if ever, would give the name to their children.' Lawrence Nomayagbon Anini was arrested in Benin City on December 3, 1986, when the police opened fire on him shattering his left leg. He was tried and found guilty. On March 29, 1987, he was publicly executed by firing squad. This article is in two parts. Part I will attempt to throw some light on the severity of the gun-shot on Anini and what could have informed medical opinion to amputate his left leg. In Part II of the essay, comments are tendered on the reasonableness of police action in effecting Anini's arrest. The question to be answered is was the force used on Anini by police reasonable? (Author abstract)

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