Trigger-happy policeman kills woman in Mushin

A trigger-happy policeman simply identified as Prince, on Tuesday evening shot a 51-year-old woman, while allegedly chasing some criminals at railway area of Mushin, Lagos State.

The victim, who was identified as Kudirat Adebayo, popularly called Mama Shaki, died on the spot as a result of the bullet wounds she sustained on the head.The deceased, according to eyewitnesses, was a petty trader and mother of four, who was frying beans cake, popularly known as Akara, at railway area of the tollgate in Mushin, when she was hit by a stray bullet. Another victim, who happens to be a commercial motorcycle operator, was also hit by stray bullet.

Though the Lagos State police image-maker, Mr. Olarinde Famous-Cole, said the incident occurred during a mob attack on some policemen in the area, witnesses alleged that officers attached to Olosan Division, Mushin, were out to raid some local fraudsters, known as yahoo boys, who according to them swindled a victim.

Cole, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), noted that the policemen accused of the killing were already in custody.Kola Olakunle, Secretary of the Okada riders in the area, said the policemen stormed the railway crossing on motorcycles to allegedly extort money from some fraudsters. On arrival, the yahoo boys were said to have rebuffed the demand, insisting that they had earlier settled a set of policemen from the same station.

Kola alleged that the refusal on the part of the fraudsters triggered the annoyance of the policemen, causing them to open fire into the crowd. “It was in the process that ‘Prince’ fired sporadically into the crowd during which the woman was hit by a bullet while she was frying yam, Akara and plantain.

“They always open fire into the crowd indiscriminately anytime they come around.A commercial motorcyclist was hit on the leg. They usually come between 9:00a.m. and 4:00p.m. to extort money from people, telling them that they must find their weekly monetary contribution.”

A former chairman of Odi-olowo Local Council, Mr. Yemi Ali, has promised to wade into the matter to ensure justice was served in the alleged killing. According to him, he has sent a representative, one Deacon Taiwo, to calm the nerves of the aggrieved residents and family members of the deceased. 

Angered by the officers’ action, residents mobilised themselves and headed to the Olosan Police Station. Eyewitnesses said they were chased away with gunshots. About five of them were said to have sustained injuries.

The deceased’s elder sister, Nimota Adebayo said her sister’s body has been deposited at Isolo General Hospital mortuary.“She was sitting with her goods and I was beside her. Immediately I entered the shop and came out, I heard gunshots. Bullet hit her on the head and she died instantly. The two policemen that shot her were Prince and Charles. We were just together discussing her make-up and teasing her about whether there was an event that day. She is about 50 years.”