Teenager Victim of Police Reckless Shooting: Right Groups Rise with Family for Justice, Commend Lagos Assembly Prompt Action – Rights Monitors
Leaders of Human Rights movement in Lagos and beyond have risen to seek justice for the Lagos teenager who was recently shot with teargas cannister in the left eye by police officers attached to Alabode Divisional Headquarters in Agege, Lagos State.
The Human Right Groups commend the Lagos State House of Assembly for promptly rising to the call to save the girl’s life, especially the Comradely effort as displayed by Hon. Orekoya Abiodun, representing Somolu Constituency 1 in the LASH.
The sad incident which was primarily reported by a member of Metro Unit of Cdhr and later sent to a Police and Human Rights synergy WhatsApp platform called on all human rights bodies to save the life of a poor girl, student of Adam Yakubu Memorial High School in Agege, Lagos State.
Aminat was reportedly shot at while entering the Mosjid opposite her school to observe Jumat Service.
The report titled “REPORT OF HUMAN RIGH ABUSE BY MEN OF NIGERIAN POLICE ALABODE POLICE STATION HEADED BY DPO MR AKEEM , ILORO CEMENT BUS STOP , CEMENT AGEGE LAGOS 9TH Feb 2024” solicited the leadership of Human Rights bodies “Urgent Intervention to save the Life of a 12 year Old school girl who was a Victim of Police Recklessness”
“Aminat Alage was shot while entering the Mosque situated Next to the School Compound after school to join her parent to observe Jumat Friday service to pray on 9th of February 2024
“It was reported that some secondary school students of Iloro Secondary School was fighting and some students went to the nearby Alabode Police Station to report the matter and Police Officers were deployed by the DPO to visit the school.
“On getting to the school gate, the Police started shooting teargas indiscriminately which heat the 12 years Old Girl in the eye and damaging badly her left eye with heavy bleeding.
“She was rushed to Ilepo General Hospital but she was rejected and referred to Lagos State Teaching Hospital, LASUTH at Ikeja where her family was asked to pay urgent amount of 2,000,000 (two million naira) for emergency surgery to be carried out on her”.
Although the report said the “DPO drop a ridiculous amount of 50,000 (fifty thousand naira for the family)”, further findings by Rights Monitors News through direct interview with the victim’s father revealed that the 50,000 Naira was rejected by the family.
The Executive Director of Human Rights Monitoring Agenda, Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak further escalated this incident by calling on all Human Rights bodies to rise to the event.
Comrade Buna had earlier in 2024 visited patients at LASUTH and addressed a press conference to condemn the unaffordable billing placed on poor and helpless people in the society.
In response to the message by the Human Rights Monitors, the Honourable member representative of Somolu Constituency 1 at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Abiodun Orekoya called Comrade Buna in the early hour of Thursday 15th of October to confirm if the poor girl still in admission at LASUTH and afterwards promised to move for the intervention of the Lagos Assembly. This promised was kept with positive report to the human rights group.
“Hello Comrade Buna, the matter has been reported to the RT. Hon Speaker, and he has directed the House Committee Chairman on Health to go to LASUTH and ensure issues of money do not delay whatever the doctors need to do, while we look into how to handle the issue of police as they are under the exclusive list in the constitution…”
Further interview with the victim’s father confirmed the prompt visitation by the Lagos Assembly as promised which has brought reasonable relief to the family at present.
The leaders of Civil Society bodies in Lagos and beyond at a recent meeting expressed deep appreciation to the Lagos State House of Assembly and plan to deal with all issues involved, including the police aspect.