A woman has been reportedly hospitalized after Lagos State Policemen allegedly shot her at a checkpoint at Lucky Fibre, in the Ikorodu area of the state.
According to Punch Metro, the issue began when an argument arose between a tricycle operator who wanted to pass the checkpoint and the cops over N100, which quickly escalated as the policemen opened fire.
During the ensuing scuffle, bullets flew and hit 34-year-old fashion designer, Rukayat Salami, in the stomach, as she and her husband were driving past the roadblock.
“I started shouting and alerted my husband. Immediately, he placed his hand around my stomach and observed that I was bleeding. He parked the vehicle, went to start arguing with the policemen. By the time he returned, he was bleeding in the head,” Rukayat said.
Her husband, Ibrahim, was also reportedly beaten up for complaining and arguing after the shooting. He described the incident occurring around 8.30 pm on Sunday, as they drove near the checkpoint and observed some policemen collecting money from commercial drivers.
After an unsuccessful request to the policemen, Ibrahim rushed his wife to the Ikorodu General Hospital, which then transferred her to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for surgery.
The couple is now demanding the arrest and prosecution of the involved policemen. The bullet extracted from Rukayat’s body would be present as evidence.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, has yet to comment on the incident to date.
