A Lagos politician, Abayomi Sofumade, has demanded justice for allegedly being shot in the leg by a policeman in the Itunpate area of Ikorodu, Lagos State.
Abayomi, aka Bush, who had been admitted to a hospital since the incident occurred on Monday, October 8, 2018, said the bullet broke his left leg.
Abayomi, who was a former Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the Ikorodu Local Government Area, said he was about leaving for his house around 8pm after visiting his mother at Itunpate when the incident happened.
The 36-year-old said he had advised eight policemen arguing with a motorcyclist by the roadside to take the matter to their station when one of the policemen allegedly shot him.
The Lagos State indigene said, “I was about entering my car after visiting my mother when a policeman that I know sighted me and greeted me. Not far from him, I noticed some policemen arguing with a motorcyclist. I moved closer and asked them what happened. I was told that the motorcyclist broke the windscreen of a policeman’s car.
“I saw eight policemen arguing with him; I advised them to go to the police station to settle their differences. As I made to leave, one of the policemen shot me. I tried to grab one of the cops but they ran away. If not for some people and my brother who took me to a hospital, I would have bled to death.”
The politician said the policeman who allegedly shot him and others were from Igbogbo Police Station adding that the Divisional Police Officer of the station, who visited him, said the officers were on illegal patrol.
He said, “When the DPO and DCO of the Igbogbo Police Station came to visit me; they said they were at the station the night the incident happened and that they did not hear anything about it. They also said they were not aware that the policemen went out, and that the patrol was illegal.
“I can identify all the policemen; I want the government to intervene and punish the erring cop. The bullet broke my leg and they had to put POP. I am not sure if I can walk normally again.”
Abayomi’s brother, Femi Sofunmade, said when he heard the commotion outside the family house, he did not know that his brother who had been shot was the reason.
The 30-year-old said, “We did not know what was going on and never thought he (Abayomi) would still be around. It was later that some neighbours rushed in to tell us that my brother had been shot.
“I rushed outside and met him in a pool of blood. The policemen took off immediately they shot him.”
Abayomi’s mother, Modinat Sofumade, said the policeman who allegedly shot her son denied it when she visited the station to lodge a complaint.
The 75-year-old said, “When I got to the station on the night of the incident, I saw the policemen involved and confronted them. They quickly drove out of the station. The officers I met at the counter around 9pm said the DPO was not around. I went back there the following day around 8am.
“When I saw the DPO, he ordered an officer to call those involved; the officers denied shooting my son. The one who shot him said he was at his church the night the incident happened. He lied; in fact, I want justice so that other trigger-happy policeman will learn.”
Abayomi’s elder brother, Yomi Shofumade, said the family had spent a lot of money on medical bills, adding that the DPO of Igbogbo Police Station, who promised to foot the medical bills of his brother, failed.
“It is clear that the men were on illegal duty. The policemen have been begging us; they even promised to pay the bills charged by the hospital, but they have yet to do anything,” the 50-year-old said.
When our correspondent visited the hospital, the doctor who attended to Abayomi, confirmed that he had a fracture in the leg.
The doctor who declined identification, said, “He has a fracture of about four centimeters deep. But the X-ray conducted on the leg showed that there is no bullet residue inside.
“People said there was gunshot; but it is not the bullet that caused the fracture he sustained. It could, however, be secondary because the gunshot could trigger a reaction that caused the fracture. It should take a week or two weeks for the wound to heal but the POP would remain for three months because the fracture is deep.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, said there was no gunshot.
He explained that Abayomi, who was a victim of circumstance, had wanted to make peace between the police and some motorcyclists before he sustained the injury.
He said, “What happened was that a policeman who was on his way to work passed where some motorcyclists were. One of the motorcyclists stoned his car and shattered the windscreen. The policeman chased the motorcyclist and eventually caught up with him. The policeman was alone and other motorcyclists came to rescue their man from him.
“The policeman feared that they were about to mob him, so he called the station and some policemen arrived at the scene.
“There was a shouting match between the policemen and the motorcyclists. So when the politician saw them, he came there to make peace because he knows the policemen.
“However, the stick that these violent motorcyclists wanted to use on the policemen landed on the politician’s leg and he fell into the gutter.
“There was no gunshot because the policemen were not armed and they had no reason to shoot him because he was there to make peace. They did not even shoot the motorcyclist that broke the windscreen of the car.
“The accusation has no logic. However, the Commissioner of Police has ordered a thorough investigation into the matter