Kunle ADELABU
-Hon. Agunbiade visit family, assures them of justice
-Officer responsible arrested, to be charged
Mrs Janet Anifowoshe, the mother of late Adijat Sikiru, the 17 years old SS1student of Ansar-ul-Deen Senior Secondary School, Imota, who was allegedly hit by a stray bullet allegedly fired by SARS officers while at her mother’s shop at Adamo, has sought for justice.
THE IMPACT gathered from reliable sources within the police that the officers responsible for the incident were not SARS but Raiders.
The bereaved mother was joined by other residents in Akaun community at her place located at 11, Akaun Street, Ikorodu, on Wednesday (today) to demand for justice for the killing of her innocent girl and those that were reportedly being unjustly detained by the police over the incident.
Mrs Anifowoshe demanded that the police should release her daughter’s corpse.
She also explained that the three boys detained by the police had helped her conveyed the remains of her daughter to Imota police station to demand justice when they were arrested and later transferred to Panti.
THE IMPACT gathered that the three boys are Hammed Yekinni, Alliu Animashaun and Daniel Ini.
Mrs Anifowoshe, while narrating what led to the death of her daughter, stated that she was with her after returning from school with another girl who is her shop assistant.
She said that while they were discussing about Adijat’s birthday slated for April, there was a sudden commotion in the area as people started running helter-skelter.
Mrs Anifowoshe said she suddenly noticed that her daughter had been shot and while trying to pick her up, the police officers that shot her pushed her away and prevented her from picking her up.
The police offcers’ action, according to her, made her called for help from the people of the community who immediately responded and engaged the officers who later fled the scene leaving their patrol vehicle behind.
Mr Abiodun Oyelade and Otunba Jelili who also spoke joined the bereaved mother in calling for justice for the slain girl and her family while they also appealed to Hon. S. O. B Agunbiade, Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly and representative of the Ikorodu Constituency I, to assist in facilitating the release of her remains and the release of the three boys that were being detained at Panti.
Speaking with journalists who met him at the bereaved family’s house, Hon. Agunbiade assured the parents of the deceased and the community of justice.
The ranking lawmaker, who had gone to sympathise with the mother and family of the deceased school girl, queried why police officers are cutting short the lives of young Nigerians in their prime through accidental discharge from their guns.
“My reaction is that I have to show concern. I wasn’t around when it happened and I only came in today and I am here to see the family of the slain girl and get brief on what actually happened and pay my condolence to her family. The mother has, however, narrated what happened to me.
“There are some other people around her who also corroborated what she said”. .
“From what we have gathered so far, there is need for us to make further verification and confirmation of things that we have heard”, Hon. Agunbiade stated.
“The bottom line is that there were several gun shots but one hit the child who would be 17 years by April and she died.
“We also gathered also that the matter was reported at the police station in Imota and from there, we learnt that other things happened and those who went there were arrested and detained and they were transferred this morning.
“I have spoken with the Area ‘N’ Commander who confirmed that the incident happened and also informed me about their efforts to stabilize the situation and prevent it from degenerating . We also learnt that the matter has been transferred to Panti .
“We are making further moves to ensure that justice is done and justice will be done”.
“What is clear is that the slain girl did not commit any crime and she wasn’t a major target in the incident that claimed her life. She was only unlucky to had been hit by a stray bullet. But for how long we are going to be hearing that? For how long do we have to put up with this reckless accidental discharge of bullet from the police guns which have continued to claim the lives of young Nigerians almost on daily basis?
“We don’t want to be judgmental but we are sure that justice will be done”.
Meanwhile, we gathered that the officer responsible for the accidental shooting has since been arrested and transferred to Panti for further investigation.
Our investigation also revealed that the officer (name withheld) has given useful information to the police and he may be charged for manslaughter which may earned him life imprisonment.
