JANET Bejide, a 75-year-old woman on Wednesday told the Ekiti State Judicial Panel of Inquiry how she was hit by a stray bullet shot by the men of the Nigerian Police Force at her shop in Ire-Ekiti, Oye local government of the state.
Bejide said the ugly incident happened on August 10 when the men in the uniform stormed the town and started shooting sporadically.
The woman, who said she was selling cooked rice at shop before the incident happened stated that she was only revived at the State Teaching Hospital in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital after she was felled by the bullet.
Bejide, who said her hand and body were perforated with gun bullets said she was rushed down to a private hospital and later to the State Teaching Hospital before regaining her consciousness
She said, “I was selling cooked rice and the policemen came shooting, I bowed down and cover my head with clothes and hand in order to avoid the impact of the tear gas.
I suddenly felt something hit my shoulder, neck and leg and that was all I knew before I woke up at the hospital.”
Bejide who could barely walk due to the impact of the gunshots in her leg prayed for compensation of N20 million from the panel, saying it would enable her to have adequate treatment.
“Since that time I have been having headache, I have not been finding it easy to live a comfortable life, now I have problem with my two eyes and my neck.
“My legs are paining me, I need more and adequate treatment on my leg, hand and all the weaknesses in my body, Please help me, so that I will not die from this pain.
“I need good health, I want to return to my normal life, please help me,” the woman pleaded.
However, Samson Osobu, the police counsel, told the petitioner that, “on the day of the incident, the town was celebrating the annual Ogun festival, and that there used to be gunshots during the festival, with large influx of people into the town.”
Bejide refuted the claim and stated that the day was not for Ogun festival, adding that nobody used fire arms but cane for Ogun celebrations in the town.
Justice Cornelius Akintayo (retd), the Chairman of the panel, adjourned the hearing to December 10 for continuation of hearing on other petitions.
'Niyi worked with The ICIR as an Investigative Reporter and Fact-checker from 2020 till September 2022. You can shoot him an email via niyioyedeji1@gmail.com. You can as well follow him on Twitter via @niyi_oyedeji.