Oluwatosin Ojuade, the elder sister of the deceased, disclosed on Sunday that Miss Ojuade, a fashion designer, was shot inside their compound in Mogaji, Surulere, one month after her 18th birthday.
The incident left her parents and three siblings shocked as residents gathered in circles discussing the matter.
The elder sister said the deceased was about to lock her motherโs shop outside the compound when she saw people running.
โShe ran inside the compound with my other sibling, Laide; my mother was washing clothes when they ran in,โ she said.
โMy mother tried to shut the gate but a policeman was dragging it with her, then she heard the gunshot, she didnโt even know that it had hit someone. She opened the gate to know who shot the bullet and she said she saw the policeman going, she saw the back view.
โImmediately the gunshot hit her on the leg, she (Monsurat) shouted, so my immediate younger sister (Laide) held her and ran back to my mummy that Monsurat has been hit, there was blood on the ground. The bullet passed through her two thighs,โ she said.
According to a witness, Adepiti Adewunmi, the deceased with her mother, a petty trader, and another sibling, Laide, were running for safety when the incident happened.
โIt happened on Friday night around 10:30 p.m. The mother is a petty trader.
โWe got information that some policemen were picking up people. They were raiding and normally anytime that they are out, they pick innocent people.
โIt happened that they were trying to pack some goods from the kiosk into their residence when they noticed that some people were running, the girl, her mom and sister also ran.
โImmediately they ran inside, they shut the gate, the policemen were forcing the gate to open it, people in the compound ran inside their rooms.
Ms Adewunmi said while people were running into the compound, Ms Ojuadeโs sister, Laide, fell and the deceased stopped to help her, leaving the gate open.
That was when the policeman fired into the compound, according to her.
โAfter the gunshot, she was screaming that the police has shot me, the sister ran out.โ
Ms Adewunmi said she tied her towel around the wound to stop the blood.
She noted that the police came in two buses โ one was painted white and the other yellow.
She said they took Ms Ojuade to Comforter Hospital in the area but the doctor wasnโt available.
โWe took her to Randle, they told us that she was hit at a close range and that they will give us the First Aid. They issued a referral letter to Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital.
โAt Igbobi, they said that they canโt attend to us that they are on strike. So, we went to Havannah Hospital along Akerele road, that was where she was declared dead.
Ms Adewunmi said they took her corpse home, then on Saturday morning, some residents went to report to the Ijeshatedo police station.
โIjesha police took her to the morgue, but they said we will be the one to foot the bills.โ
Osunmo Abiodun, a member of the landlord association in the area, said he went to the Ijeshatedo police station to report the matter.
โI went to the Ijeshatedo police station in the name of Onikeku Kammi (a councillor), we went to lodge a report and ask the police to visit the scene on that Friday night, they said they donโt have a vehicle to carry her but a good Samaritan volunteered to rescue her.
Mr Abiodun said on Saturday morning, the Divisional Police Officer of Ijeshatedo police station, Umaru Bala, told them the โpolice officers were from the State CID in Panti.
โHe led some of us to the area commander in Zone D in Mushin, at the meeting the man apologised on behalf of the Nigerian police.
โThen he asked us what we want the police to do, then we said we want to seek justice for the girl, we want the man to be identified and dismissed.
โHe promised that the officer who was responsible will be identified. He said the names of the officers that came for the operation are with them and they will be identified.
โHe promised that the commissioner of police will be informed.โ
Efforts to reach the Lagos State police spokesperson, Adekunle Ajisebutu, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to phone calls and messages.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has arrested and detained a cop who shot an 18-year-old girl, Monsurat Ojuade dead at Ijeshatedo area of the state.
A statement issued by the commandโspokesman, Adekunle Ajisebutu on Suday said Ojuade was hit by a stray bullet at about 1.00am on Saturday when a team of detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti went on investigation activities to effect arrest of a robbery suspect in Ijeshatedo area of the State.
He said concerted efforts were made to save the life of the injured victim as she was immediately taken to the hospital for urgent medical attention but later died on the way to the hospital.
โThe Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, regrets this unfortunate but avoidable incident and sincerely commiserates with the bereaved family in whose pain he shares in this moment of grief.
โThis is therefore to inform the bereaved family, sympathizers and the general public that the erring Police officer who pulled the trigger has been identified and is currently being detained.
โThe Commissioner of Police has directed that the said police officer should be tried and charged to court immediately after being dismissed from the Force. This, it is believed, will serve as deterrent to others who do not act professionally in the course of their duties,โ he said.
Ajisebutu added that this singular sad incident notwithstanding, the Lagos State Police Command shall continue to strive vigorously and conscientiously to protect the lives and property of the citizens in the State.
