TheCable

An 18-year-old girl, identified as Monsurat Ojuade, has been killed during a raid by police officers at Ijesha axis of Surulere in Lagos.

The girl was said to have been shot, when she and her elder sister ran into the premises of their house on Friday night.

When TheCable visited the deceased’s house at Mobaji street, Ijesha, Surulere, on Sunday, there were many sympathisers, including church members, who came to commiserate with the family.

The parents of the deceased were not available to speak, while the deceased’s elder sister who ran home with the victim also declined comment.

However, Tosin Ojuade, one of deceased’s sisters, said Monsurat and her sister were about to close their mother’s provision shop, which is close to the house, when they saw people running helter-skelter.

She said the sisters ran into the house, and while their mother who was washing clothes in the compound wanted to close the gate, a police officer tried to force the gate open from outside.

She said the mother heard a gunshot, and the bullet pierced through the deceased’s thighs.

Tosin also disclosed that the deceased celebrated her 18th birthday on August 11, and was processing admission to a tertiary institution.

A resident, who preferred not to be named, said he was in his room when he heard the gunshot and that on getting outside, he saw the deceased in a pool of blood.

He said the deceased was taken to a private hospital in the area but was not attended to because doctors were not around.

The resident said the deceased was later taken to Randle Hospital, Surulere, where she was briefly treated and referred to Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital.

He said the deceased was not attended to at Igbobi hospital, because those around said they were on strike, adding that Monsurat died after she was taken to another hospital.

“On Friday night, police officers were pursuing some criminals in this area. The criminals passed through this street. Everybody was running and that girl and her sister were running from this side of their mother’s shop,” the resident said in Yoruba language.

“They were packing wares from their mother’s shop, because they wanted to close the shop. As they were running into the compound, the police also ran after them.

“Maybe the police officer thought they were criminals. Their mother was washing clothes somewhere in this compound when they ran inside.”

Osunmo Abiodun, who identified himself as a member of the community’s landlord association, said the police had apologised over the incident and promised that the family will get justice.

“About 20 or 25 minutes before the incident happened, I was one of those the girl last saw. When I was called upon, they were trying to rush her to the hospital. I was confused,” he said.

“I was like ‘some people should follow them to hospital’, and that we should go and lodge a report at Ijeshatedo police station. I lodged a report in the company of honourable Onikeku Kammi.

“In the morning (Saturday), we were told that the officers who came for the operation were from the state CID Panti and the DPO spoke very well. He told us that he is interested in the case, because the thing happened in his domain that the officer that shot is from the state CID.

“The DPO led some of us to the office of the area commander in zone D in Mushin and the man apologised on behalf of the police.”

Abiodun said the community asked the police to ensure that the victim gets justice.

Confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, Adekunle Ajisebutu, Lagos police spokesperson, said the victim was hit by a stray bullet.

He also said the erring officer has been detained.