It is no longer news, although a sad one, that a 14 year old yoghurt seller, simply identified as Jumoke was reportedly hit by a stray bullet yesterday said to be that of the Nigeria Police force during the Yoruba nation rally held at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, Lagos.
Reports gathered said that the incidence happened when the state Commissioner of Police, abruptly ended an interview session with the press which was becoming rowdy and this led to promptly dispersing agitators with teargas, water cannons and gun shots.
In response to the alleged killing, the Lagos state police command through the Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has debunked the allegation. He said men of the police force never fired a single live bullet linked to the killing of the 14-year-old girl as widely speculated.
Notwithstanding, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) in a statement issued yesterday Saturday July 3, 2021 by the group’s national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, and the Media Affairs Director, Zainab Yusuf demanded the arrest, prosecution and jailing of the Lagos State police Commissioner over the death of the teenage girl.
In the words HURIWA “we hereby demand the arrest, prosecution and jailing of the Lagos State police Commissioner for this egregious assault to our national psyche and for breaching the constitution of Nigeria by attacking peaceful marchers in Lagos and for this tragic termination of the precious life of this 14-year-old girl in Lagos.”
However, in a statement issued by the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos state command, stated that the news of the killing is “false and mischievous” and that it should be disregarded by the general public. The command also enjoined citizens of the state to “go about their lawful normal daily activities while investigation to unravel the incident will commence immediately.”