A police officer has caused serious commotion in Lagos after shooting dead a commercial tricycle rider in public.
File photo used only for illustrative purpose
A police officer attached to the Lion Building Division,
Superintendent Raji, has allegedly shot a Lagos Island-based
commercial tricyclist, Adisa Fatade.
According to The Nation, the 37 -year -old transporter who plies
Tinubu- Tom Jones axis was shot during a police raid on warring hoodlums
around Martins/Evans Streets at about 12 p.m on Thursday.
He was said to have visited his sister’s restaurant and was leaving when the officer shot.
Fatade was rushed to the hospital but was not treated until a police report was provided.
The Nation reports that the police afterwards stormed the hospital and handcuffed the victim on account of being a criminal.
The police allgedly threatened his sister, Abimbola Tijani, who
refuted the claim that Fatade was among the criminals. She said the
officers accused her of conniving with a criminal in sheer defence of
their indiscretions.
According to her, Fatade had just finished eating when the news of
the fight came. She explained that many shop owners immediately locked
up for fear that the police might arrive soon.
She was seeing Fatade off when the police arrived and began to
shoot sporadically in the direction of those fleeing for their dear
lives.
“It happened the second day after Hassan was shot. Some people
were fighting in the area, and everyone wanted to close their stores and
leave. That was when the police arrived. People started running on
sighting them and the police started shooting in our direction. By the
time we stopped running, my brother was already bleeding profusely.
"We rushed him to the Lagos Island General Hospital, where they
asked us to bring a police report. Before we knew it, the police came
to meet us and asked about the person who was shot. They asked us how it
happened and I said he had just finished eating at my shop and I wanted
to see him off when he was shot. I don’t know the particular police
officer that shot him but when we got to the station, one officer who
identified himself as Raji said he fired three shots. He added that one
of the bullets hit a man while the two other bullets did not hit
anyone.
“That was how they asked me to shut up, that he is a criminal,
but I insisted he is not. Raji then grabbed my neck and he almost
slapped me while dragging me to their van. About four hours, they told
me that my brother needed blood and that I should call anyone I could. I
told them I was the only one around.
‘’My husband arrived and was angry. The policemen now accused
me of supporting a rioter. They told me I would be surprised with where I
will land myself. Around 7 p.m, my husband went for a lawyer who said
he would bail me. But before they could grant me bail, they asked me to
pay for my brother’s treatment. Thereafter, they claimed they released
me in order to stay with my brother. They gave me all the receipts with
which they paid. They gave me the analysis of the hospital bills and the
pints of blood they bought,” said Tijani.
Tijani said the police has vowed to charge Fatade to court after recovery.
Contacted, the spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Dolapo Badmos, said the matter is currently being investigated.
She said: “The allegation of his being chained is a lie, and I know that would not have emerged from the family.
‘’The command is investigating the circumstances that led to
the incident, be rest assured that if the policeman(Raji) is found
wanting. he will be sanctioned.’’
No comments:
Post a Comment