Mr Heritage, an eyewitness to Adijat’s killing
IMPACT: As a witness to the unfortunate incident , can you please tell us what actually happened ?
Mr Heritage: It was just a bad judgment on the part of the accused police officer . Our policemen are not well trained. Police need to start doing drug and alcoholic tests for every police officer they give gun to. It was the tax payers’ money that was used in procuring their uniforms and guns. If police are doing thorough training for their officers, incessant killings like this by the police officers would not be happening. How many times are we going to be lamenting over avoidable deaths in Nigerian? This is something that doesn’t have to happen. I tried so much to dissuade this guy from firing another shot on that day. The first time that he fired the shot, I walked up to him and asked why he did that and he said he was excited. I queried why he should be excited firing shots in a crowded place where there was no imminent danger to him. We got a shell of his shot. I emphatically told him that he should not do anything that would make him lose his gun and uniform and he thanked me. I even asked if he has been drinking and he said that he only took two bottles and I advised that he go back to his station and relax. I then walked him to the other side of the road with the intention of walking him to his vehicle but he said no and that he was okay. Five minutes later, I heard another two gunshots and a woman (Adijat’s mother) just held on to him shouting “o ti pomo mi” (you have killed my daughter). Then, he flung the woman away and started running towards their patrol vehicle and I advised people not to run after him because by that time, he had started to act as if he was sensing danger and ready to shoot anyone coming towards him. While the police officers were running towards their vehicle, I was able to restrained people from pursuing them. They were able to get into their vehicle and escaped from the scene. We attempted rushing the girl to the hospital but she was dead on the spot and her mother was just rolling on the floor. It was then that I told the mother to take the corpse to Imota police station.
Unfortunately, when these drivers (pointing to them behind him) took the girl’s corpse to the station with the mother, the police officers started beating and firing at them.
IMPACT: What is your assessment of the handling of the matter so far, especially with the intervention of Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ikorodu branch, and the visit. by the Commissioner of Police today ?
Mr Heritage: Justice has not been done yet but I believe that they will do the right thing. We hope that justice will be done (cuts in).
IMPACT: Do you see justice being done with these interventions?
Mr Heritage: Justice will be done at the end of the day because the matter is taking another dimension because the international community are aware of the matter. We are used to sweeping things under the carpet in Nigeria. The bulletin that was sent out by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) was appalling. It was a disgrace and a blatant lie. It was a 360 degree from what actually happened. I was an eye witness. What they fed the public with was a fabricated lie and that was exactly what spurred me to be more. involved in the matter and get justice for the girl. I will make xmyself available at anytime for the course.
