Police open fire on
Eid festival celebrants, kill one
By Vincent Ukpong Kalu
Saturday, October 20, 2007
 |
•Okiro,
IGP
Pix: Sun News Publishing |
| |
Chief Sunday Osukoya Albert, a pensioner living at Waheeb
Street, Agege would wish that penultimate Friday, October
12, never existed. That day, he tasted the bitter pill of
police brutality. A team of policemen at about 10pm opened
fire on young men celebrating the Eid El-Fitri festival at
Waheeb Street killing his son, Seyi and wounded another party
maker.
Seyi, married with three children was a fashion designer who
also sold handset accessories. He lived at Agbado Crossing,
far away from his parent’s house.
Albert narrated to Saturday Sun how he got
what he least bargained expected from " the police that
are funded with our tax money to protect us".
Last discussion
According to Albert, Seyi and his friends had organised a
party on Friday, the last day of the Eid holidays to celebrate
the end of the Ramadan.
He said before he retired to bed about 10pm that night, he
called Seyi and asked him if was not yet time for him go home
to meet his family? Seyi behaved like a dog that had appointment
with death that will not hear the whistle of its owner. He
told his father that he was not going to his house that night
but will pass the night with them at the family house.
"I went and got cover cloth for him and went to bed.
As I was about to sleep, I heard persistent knocks on my door
calling, "Daddy, Daddy’, open the door, fire…
fire. It was one of my tenants, a woman. When I opened the
door I didn’t see any fire. I was peeved and challenged
the woman for raising what I thought was false alarm and why
she should disturb my peace at this time. She then told me
that police have shot Seyi, his son. "It was a thunderbolt."
Albert said.
"When I came out, I was told that Seyi has been taken
to Madek hospital. I went to the hospital and saw him bleeding
profusely as he was shot at the chest. The hospital could
not do much. His friends brought him to Isokoko Police Station.
The police instructed them to go to the General Hospital,
Ikeja. When they got to the General hospital, he was not attended
to as the hospital authority insisted on getting police report
that was not forthcoming. He later passed on in the hospital.
Argument before pulling trigger
According to Albert, the arrival of the police team caused
pandemonium and some of Seyi’s friends started running
away. Seyi was said to be surprised and asked them why they
were running. One of the policemen asked Seyi, "so you
have the audacity to ask your friends why they were running?"
He pulled the trigger and volleys of bullets were released.
One hit Seyi at the chest, some others sustained gun shot
wounds and are receiving treatment at undisclosed hospitals.
Protest
His friends went to the palace of Oba of Agege and protested
the incessant killing of the youths of the area by the police.
The Oba called the Commander of Area G Police Command and
complained. The Commander directed that the corpse be taken
to Island mortuary for post mortem.
Illegal operation
The police team led by one officer called Igwe had hired a
commercial bus for the operation which has been confirmed
illegal. The driver lives at Arigbala Street, Agege. The vehicle
and the driver were detained at Isokoko Police Station before
they were transferred to State Criminal and Investigative
Department. Panti, Yaba. After the gruesome act, the police
scampered.
Chief Albert said last Tuesday, he was invited to Panti to
identify the suspected police officer but that was the day
he was interring Seyi.
Hard drug haven
Reliable sources that crave anonymity confided that Waheeb
Street is the haven for marijuana and hard drugs indulgence.
The leader of the police team was always coming there for
"settlement" by the peddlers and dealers when he
was serving within the Agege area. Now he has been transferred
to Ikorodu, but greed still led him to Waheeb to get "settlement."
Trouble was said to have started when the dealers realising
that he was no more within the Agege area refused to pay any
more tribute.
The authorities in Isokoko Police Station said their hands
are tied as they are barred from speaking to press even as
Seyi’s father is crying for justice. Efforts to speak
to Police Public Relation Officer proved abortive.
|
