A fashion designer, who was last Wednesday hit by stray bullets allegedly fired by a policeman attached to the Lion Building Division on Lagos Island died yesterday.
Mr Hassan Taiwo sustained severe injuries on his hands, thighs and stomach.
The policeman was said to have fired the shots that killed Taiwo while pursuing hoodlums around the popular Folawiyo Market on the Island.
It was learnt that the 35-year-old victim, was performing ablution in preparation for the afternoon prayer when the corporal in company of his three colleague fired the bullet that hit him in the stomach.
The Nation gathered that the policemen attempted to leave the victim who was bleeding profusely at the scene but were prevented by the traders.
He was reportedly rushed to the General Hospital, Lagos Island.
The hospital authorities demanded police reports and an initial payment of N100,000 before treatment could begin.
Taiwo was left writhing in pains for over two hours.
He later underwent a surgery after his colleagues at the market paid the money.
Taiwo’s relative who declined giving his name said officers at the Lion Building Division were not bothered about saving Taiwo’s life but were only interested in supporting the policeman, while the victim suffered excruciating pain.
The victim’s distraught wife, Rukayat, said: “I went to Palmgrove on that day and he called me, asking about my welfare and my trip. I asked him same and he said there was no problem. While returning, I went straight to his shop just to check on him. I didn’t even know what had happened. They told me he went out. A woman later told me that some policemen shot my husband while he was performing ablution. I went straight to the hospital and found him on the bed, swollen and changed.
“Bullets penetrated his stomach, thighs and hands. Traders from the market were already there, rallying round to raise money for his treatment. He was taken to the theatre for surgery that night and thankfully, it was successful. Since he was brought to the ward, the family has been responsible for his treatment.
“He had taken four pints of blood; my friends and his (Taiwo) elder sister’s friends had to donate blood while the hospital kept demanding more money.
”We didn’t see anything from those police officers. All we heard was that the police officer had been locked up and they started disturbing us to come and sign that we weren’t interested in following up the case so as to save the officer from dismissal.”
The mother of four urged the Lagos State Government to ensure the officer face the law.
“I have four kids and the last is one-year-old. It was my co-tenant that gave me N500 for their feeding this (Friday) morning. Government should please save us from police officers’ indiscriminate shooting. How can they storm a densely populated market and started shooting anyhow? The officer must be punished to deter others from such act.”
A trader who raised the N100,000 for initial treatment, Shola Mogaji, said: “The government also should assist victims in emergency situation, so they don’t need to wait for people to contribute money before they are treated. They asked for a police report, we went looking for the radiologist for x-ray and they said he wasn’t around. We waited for almost two hours before the doctor came and said he was ready to do the operation without x-ray because if we allowed that victim to stay more than necessary, the reverse would have been the case.”
A community leader and activist, Prince Apata Akinsemoyin, condemned the officers’ action, urging police authorities to ensure justice was done for the victim.
”This is not the first time people are being shot indiscriminately by men of the Lion Building Division. On March 29, 2014, one Rasheed Oludegun was shot dead. The Lagos State Police Command should call its men to order and ensure justice is done, Akinsemoyin said.
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