Daud Olatunji
In the heart of Abeokuta, Ogun State, a routine day took a harrowing turn for Ahmodu Afeez Adewale, a 38-year-old businessman and father of one.
On that fateful Friday morning, at the busy Oke-Ilewo area, Adewale’s life hung in the balance as he narrowly escaped death when police stray bullets shattered his car windscreen.
The incident unfolded during a routine stop-and-search exercise conducted by men of the police attached to Zone 2.
As they attempted to halt a Lexus ES car in front of their station, tensions escalated when the driver allegedly ignored their commands.
Adewale, innocently navigating his way from Oke-Ilewo to Idi-Aba, found himself in the crossfire. “It was yesterday (Friday) around 10:55 am,” he recounted, his voice tinged with the remnants of shock.
“The policemen were stopping a Lexus ES car at the front of their station, and the car didn’t wait for them.
They started firing at the vehicle, and their stray bullet came to my car from the side, destroying and affecting my side door and the windscreen, causing me a bruise at my left hand while driving.”
His hands trembling, Adewale described the ordeal as he confronted the police officers about the unjust assault. “I walked to them and asked them why the shot, and they told me to bring my car into their station to confirm my claim,” he said, frustration evident in his words.
Upon reaching the area commander’s office, Adewale was instructed to pen a voluntary statement about the incident.
His confusion deepened when he was abruptly dismissed, with authorities attributing the gunfire to armed robbers—an assertion he vehemently refuted.
“I was shocked when I was told to go, claiming that the shots were fired by armed robbers, which is not true,” Adewale expressed, disbelief etched across his face.
“If it’s robbers that shot a stray bullet, where is the incident report of the robbers? Why did they agree to fix the car, only for them to renege after some thought?”
His bruised hand tended to at the hospital clinic, Adewale now calls for a thorough investigation by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2.
“The IGP and AIG Zone 2 should cause a thorough investigation into the incident,” he urged, his plea echoing the sentiment of many who seek justice in the face of an unnerving encounter with the supposed custodians of law and order.
His statement read “as I approached the police command zone 2 roundabout, I witnessed policemen stopping a Lexus ES car in front of their station.
“The car, however, did not wait for them, prompting the officers to open fire. Unfortunately, a stray bullet hit my car from the side, damaging my side door and windshield, and causing a bruise on my left hand while driving.
“I halted my car and approached the officers to inquire about the incident. They instructed me to bring my car into their station for verification.
“Subsequently, I was escorted to the area commander’s office to report the incident personally. I was then asked to provide a voluntary statement, which I complied with.
“After submitting the statement, a policeman escorted me to the commander’s office.
To my surprise, I was informed that the shots were fired by armed robbers, a claim I found dubious.
“Despite not being directly hit by the bullets, I sustained a bruise on my hand, which was treated at the hospital clinic.
I was simply driving towards Kuto and was not subjected to a stop; it was the stray bullet that entered my car. I pulled over and addressed the situation on the spot.
“I questioned the absence of an incident report on the alleged armed robbers and why the agreement to fix my car was rescinded after some consideration.
“I urge the IGP and AIG Zone 2 to conduct a thorough investigation into this incident.”
Several attempts to get comment from the police failed .
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