- How Police made me a widow- Wife
- A policeman shot my father- Daughter
For Rariu Adeniji, a weekend visit to his mother became a trip of no return. He was allegedly shot dead by a trigger-happy policeman. How did this happen?It was a Sunday afternoon, a time for many to either relax in the comfort of their homes or go visiting. For 31 years old Rafiu Adeniji, it was the only day he had to visit his aged mother and relatives.
Hence, he set that fateful afternoon to visit his 85-year-old mother who resides in Makinde area of Oshodi. He was oblivious of the impending dangers lurking down the corner. "He left home happily with our six years old daughter, Mariam, that day for Makinde in Oshodi where Mama (his mother) lives.
I would even have gone with them but I had to stay back at our Cement Bus Stop home with my son because I had some few things to attend to. I didn't know that would be the last time I would see him alive" his wife, Omolara, disclosed amidst tears. She explained that a man she is acquainted with on their street in Cement area came to her to tell her that her husband had been involved in an accident.
"I was stunned when a man came to my house around 7.30 pm to tell me that my husband was involved in an accident. I immediately called Usman, his cousin who told me that I should go to my parents' place in Joseph Street in Oshodi area and that Mariam, my daughter, was there. I hurriedly headed there.
I found my daughter but my husband was not there and no one was telling me anything until I asked my daughter the whereabouts of her father; she burst into tears and told me how my husband was shot dead by a police officer in Mangoro on their way from Oshodi. "I went blank and suddenly, it was as if my life had come to an end. It was a terrible day for me," she said ruefully.
Describing her late husband she said what she would miss the most about him are his caring and loving attributes. "He was a very caring and loving husband and father. He would never want to see anyone around him suffer or go through any pain. He was always ready to listen to people and most of all, he hated cheats.
I miss him so much" she moaned. In contrast with the news going around that Adeniji had boarded a bus from Agege to Oshodi, Mariam Adeniji, his daughter who was with him in the car as at the time of the incident said, they were not in a commercial bus but rather, they were together in his car that fateful day. "My daddy and I and one uncle were together in the car on our way home from Oshodi when a Danfo bus that the police people were chasing hit my father's car.
When my daddy came out of the car to talk to the Danfo driver, a police man came out of the vehicle and pointed the gun at my daddy and shot him in the chest and my daddy fell down. The policeman killed my daddy" said the girl.
According to Lateef Okesola who was also with the deceased in the car at the time of the incident, Adeniji was in his car when suddenly the Danfo in front of him reversed because he spotted some policemen who were obviously chasing him and he (the Danfo driver) damaged the car of the deceased. Expressing shock at the incidence, Okesola said it occurred in broad daylight.
He said, "Adeniji, Mariam and I, were all in his Honda bulldog car; he was driving. We were headed towards Agege when we saw a white police patrol vehicle with the inscription, OPS Attack, chasing a commercial bus. So, he swerved to the side and allowed the vehicle to pass. We continued on our journey but after a while, we found ourselves behind the same bus. Suddenly, the driver of the bus applied his brake. Unfortunately, he couldn't stop his car fast enough as his vehicle hit the bus from behind, causing me to sustain a bruise on the head.
You can see the wound. It was in that process that I got this injury (pointing to the wound on his head)". An argument was said to have ensued between the bus driver and Adeniji after the motorist demanded payment for the repair of the bus.
The deceased allegedly told the bus driver to blame the policemen for causing the accident. Okesola continued, "The policemen were parked on the side of the road and when Rafiu approached them to discuss what had happened, one of them alighted and shot him in the chest before fleeing. It was the sympathisers who gathered, that flagged down another commercial bus to take us all to the Isokoko Police Division."
After obtaining a police report, Adeniji was taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where he was confirmed dead. Not long after his corpse was taken to his family home at Oshodi, Adeniji was said to have been rushed to a private hospital after a sympathiser claimed he saw the corpse move. However, Adeniji was confirmed dead again at Jericho Hospital. Mr Ramon Adeniji, the elder brother of the deceased said it was quite unfortunate that his brother had to die the way he did. He further disclosed that they had been to the police station and are now making arrangements on how to collect the remains from the mortuary in Mainland Hospital, Yaba.
He said although the incident was a sad one, the Commander of the Area F command in Ikeja had been exceptionally concerned about it and had promised to investigate into the matter.
"I cannot but say that the Area Commander of Area F command has been exceptionally helpful. When we were to deposit the corpse on that Sunday night, he was the one who made arrangement for fund to get the body deposited. Because of fund, we had to take the corpse to the Mainland Hospital in Yaba where we eventually deposited it.
We are looking forward to getting the body out so we could bury him as soon as possible because we are Muslims and it is not in our tradition to leave our dead unburied for long.
"What we are crying for now is for justice to prevail. Although, the Area Commander of Area F has promised to look into the case and has promised to carry out a proper investigation but we will not want this to die like the many cases that had happened in the past. We want justice to prevail so that the perpetrator will be brought to book" he said in a fierce voice. It was gathered that Adeniji was an employee of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO. His colleagues, who came to sympathise with the family, described him as a hardworking man.
His elder sister, Titilayo Akintunde, described the incident as a nightmare, saying there was a need for the government to curb the excesses of policemen. She added: "One wonders why it is those that are paid to protect lives and property that continue to add sorrows to our lives in this country.
The case is even more pathetic because he was killed in the presence of his six-yearold daughter and she has refused to eat since the incident. It is a sight that she will never forget.
We want justice for him. Imagine what our mother is going through right now?" When contacted on the telephone, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Damasus Ozoani, said, "There was a shooting in Agege area which led to loss of life. The patrol team within that area has been arrested and their arms have been taken for examination".
Source: Extrajudicial killing: (http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/extrajudicial-killing/)