TRAGEDY shattered a jolly evening when blood mixed with a
feast on Lagos Island on Saturday, March 29, 2014. The feast was to celebrate
the arrival of a baby by a couple living at No 168,
Adeniji Adele Street. The guests who turned out in pink ankara had wished for
an encore as they danced to melodious music wafting from the giant speakers
placed on the premises of a public vocational and skills acquisition centre
where the event was held. But the joyous mood soon paved the way for a pall of
grief when some policemen from Area ‘A’ Lion Building allegedly fired
indiscriminate shots into the crowd.
The hot bullets allegedly hit one Rasheed Olundegun, an employee of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and he died on the spot. The policemen, according to sources who asked not be named, had visited the venue of the ceremony and were said to have been handed food and some amount of money by the celebrant called Lanre. They allegedly left, but returned a few minutes later accusing some men of smoking Indian hemp. Attempts to persuade them to leave one of the men wrongly arrested failed as they started shooting sporadically to scare away people. The shooting was said to have caused pandemonium as people scampered for safety. Olundegun, who by then had just returned from a hospital where his ailing wife was rushed, however, was caught by the bullets while trying to run for his life. He felled down in a pool of his blood and died immediately. His 45-year-old wife, Bolatito, did not survive the shock of the news of her husband’s death. She was said to have died at the hospital when told of her husband’s death.
She was buried on April 1 and is survived by two children. An eyewitness, who asked not to be mentioned, said: “Olundegun was hungry when he returned from hospital where his wife was rushed. He wanted to send someone to buy food from a vendor when he was told that the food being prepared to entertain guests at the party was ready. He was just about going to take the food when the police officers started shooting and was felled by their bullets. “I was talking with someone at the party when the teargas canisters fired landed near my foot. The policemen later started shooting as if those at the party were criminals. The late Olundegun had not even eaten the food he was given when he was shot dead. His wife who was admitted to a hospital died from the shock of her husband’s death when she received the news. A community leader, who spoke in confidence, explained that another resident was shot in the arm during the incident, while the policemen fled leaving the lifeless body of Olundegun on the spot. A neighbour, who was identified as Saheed Dosunmu, also had his left arm shattered by bullets during the incident. A resident, Gbade Lawal, said:“One Saheed Dosunmu, who was seated quietly was also shot and he is battling excruciating pain on his arms.
The anti-robbery team led by one Inspector Asubiaro hurriedly left the scene as soon as the implication of their action dawned on them.” Peace further took a flight as aggrieved residents protested the gruesome killing of Olundegun. It was at that stage that a patrol team of policemen from the Adeniji Adele Division was attacked by a mob. Their vehicle was set ablaze while the men called for reinforcement to contain the fearless protesters. “Angry residents took to the streets to protest the killing and ambushed men of the Adeniji Adele Police Division who were patrolling the area. They burnt their patrol van and the confrontation lasted many hours,” Lawal said. “In order to cover up their misguided action, the policemen went to town with stories that they were attacked by hoodlums and that Olundegun was killed during the incident. They arrested the celebrant and other innocent residents mostly of Igbo extraction. The truth is that Olundegun was shot dead by an officer called Ola, aka Up Chelsea, who is now walking free. Meanwhile, a community leader, Prince Mukaila Akinsemoyin, has written a petition to the office of the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, asking him to intervene in the matter.
A copy of the petition obtained by our correspondent reads in part: “It will be extremely hard for police to lie their way out of this…on March 29, 2014 about 10 pm, at FSP Centre, along Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos Island, there was a naming ceremony going on when a group of policemen from the Lion Building Area ‘A’ Command headquarters stormed the party on the excuses that they sighted someone smoking marijuana in the street. As a result of this, the celebrant, according to eyewitnesses, gave the police the sum of N5000, so that his party would not be disorganized. The policemen collected the money from the celebrant and left.
“A few minutes later, the same patrol team came back to the party and started shooting sporadically into the crowd as a result of which one Rasheed OIundegun was shot dead instantly, while one Saheed Dosunmu was also hit by bullets on his left hand. When the news of the death of Olundegun filtered to the hearing of his wife who was on admission in a hospital, the woman died. ‘’This is not the first time this so-called antirobbery team from the Area ‘A’ Command has been carrying out their nefarious activities in the area…the entire patrol team involved should be arrested and investigated and brought to justice.
This is about ending impunity. ”
Attempts to get the response of Lagos police spokesperson, Ms Ngozi Braide, failed as her phone was switched off, while a message sent to her phone line by our correspondent was not replied at press time. When her deputy, Mr Damasus Ozoani, was contacted, he declined comments, saying: “As I speak, I am attending a training programme outside Lagos, hence I cannot speak on the matter.”
-The Nation
The hot bullets allegedly hit one Rasheed Olundegun, an employee of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and he died on the spot. The policemen, according to sources who asked not be named, had visited the venue of the ceremony and were said to have been handed food and some amount of money by the celebrant called Lanre. They allegedly left, but returned a few minutes later accusing some men of smoking Indian hemp. Attempts to persuade them to leave one of the men wrongly arrested failed as they started shooting sporadically to scare away people. The shooting was said to have caused pandemonium as people scampered for safety. Olundegun, who by then had just returned from a hospital where his ailing wife was rushed, however, was caught by the bullets while trying to run for his life. He felled down in a pool of his blood and died immediately. His 45-year-old wife, Bolatito, did not survive the shock of the news of her husband’s death. She was said to have died at the hospital when told of her husband’s death.
She was buried on April 1 and is survived by two children. An eyewitness, who asked not to be mentioned, said: “Olundegun was hungry when he returned from hospital where his wife was rushed. He wanted to send someone to buy food from a vendor when he was told that the food being prepared to entertain guests at the party was ready. He was just about going to take the food when the police officers started shooting and was felled by their bullets. “I was talking with someone at the party when the teargas canisters fired landed near my foot. The policemen later started shooting as if those at the party were criminals. The late Olundegun had not even eaten the food he was given when he was shot dead. His wife who was admitted to a hospital died from the shock of her husband’s death when she received the news. A community leader, who spoke in confidence, explained that another resident was shot in the arm during the incident, while the policemen fled leaving the lifeless body of Olundegun on the spot. A neighbour, who was identified as Saheed Dosunmu, also had his left arm shattered by bullets during the incident. A resident, Gbade Lawal, said:“One Saheed Dosunmu, who was seated quietly was also shot and he is battling excruciating pain on his arms.
The anti-robbery team led by one Inspector Asubiaro hurriedly left the scene as soon as the implication of their action dawned on them.” Peace further took a flight as aggrieved residents protested the gruesome killing of Olundegun. It was at that stage that a patrol team of policemen from the Adeniji Adele Division was attacked by a mob. Their vehicle was set ablaze while the men called for reinforcement to contain the fearless protesters. “Angry residents took to the streets to protest the killing and ambushed men of the Adeniji Adele Police Division who were patrolling the area. They burnt their patrol van and the confrontation lasted many hours,” Lawal said. “In order to cover up their misguided action, the policemen went to town with stories that they were attacked by hoodlums and that Olundegun was killed during the incident. They arrested the celebrant and other innocent residents mostly of Igbo extraction. The truth is that Olundegun was shot dead by an officer called Ola, aka Up Chelsea, who is now walking free. Meanwhile, a community leader, Prince Mukaila Akinsemoyin, has written a petition to the office of the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, asking him to intervene in the matter.
A copy of the petition obtained by our correspondent reads in part: “It will be extremely hard for police to lie their way out of this…on March 29, 2014 about 10 pm, at FSP Centre, along Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos Island, there was a naming ceremony going on when a group of policemen from the Lion Building Area ‘A’ Command headquarters stormed the party on the excuses that they sighted someone smoking marijuana in the street. As a result of this, the celebrant, according to eyewitnesses, gave the police the sum of N5000, so that his party would not be disorganized. The policemen collected the money from the celebrant and left.
“A few minutes later, the same patrol team came back to the party and started shooting sporadically into the crowd as a result of which one Rasheed OIundegun was shot dead instantly, while one Saheed Dosunmu was also hit by bullets on his left hand. When the news of the death of Olundegun filtered to the hearing of his wife who was on admission in a hospital, the woman died. ‘’This is not the first time this so-called antirobbery team from the Area ‘A’ Command has been carrying out their nefarious activities in the area…the entire patrol team involved should be arrested and investigated and brought to justice.
This is about ending impunity. ”
Attempts to get the response of Lagos police spokesperson, Ms Ngozi Braide, failed as her phone was switched off, while a message sent to her phone line by our correspondent was not replied at press time. When her deputy, Mr Damasus Ozoani, was contacted, he declined comments, saying: “As I speak, I am attending a training programme outside Lagos, hence I cannot speak on the matter.”
-The Nation
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