Who Did This To Me? – Mother Of Girl Killed At Lagos Yoruba Nation Rally Cries
The mother of a 14-year-old girl who was murdered by a stray bullet during a Yoruba Nation protest in Lagos on Saturday has voiced her grief over her daughter’s death.
Activists demanding Yoruba self-determination congregated in Ojota’s Gani Fawehinmi Park, surrounded by armed police and soldiers.
This came after the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeen Odumosu, spoke to reporters at the venue and declared that no rally would be permitted in the state.
However, agitators disregarded his announcement, flaunting banners and chanting a variety of slogans to indicate their intention to see the Yoruba people secede from Nigeria.
The security personnel at the arena were enraged, and they deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse the throng.
This did not stop the agitators, who returned to their place of convergence and continued where they had left off.
As gunfire rang out from several directions, the security personnel took the following measure, which had everyone at the gathering fleeing to safety.
When the situation became a bit calm, a young girl who was displaying drinks at a shop close by was seen lying in a pool of blood.
She was reported to have been hit by a stray bullet when security operatives were dispersing the crowd at the rally.
Reacting, the Lagos State Police Command issued a statement through the Public Relations Officer, Olamuyiwa Adejobi, denying that the girl died as a result of the actions of security operatives.
Adejobi said, “The said corpse was found wrapped and abandoned at a distance, far from Ojota venue of the rally, behind MRS Filling Station, inward Maryland, on the other side of the venue, with dried blood stains suggesting that the corpse is not fresh.
“After a close look at the corpse, a wound suspectedly sustained from a sharp object was seen on it.
“The news is false and mischievous. The Command, therefore, urges the general public to disregard the news and go about their lawful normal daily activities while investigation to unravel the incident will commence immediately.”
However, the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Oodua, through a statement by its Media Communications Secretary, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye, faulted the police for the young girl’s death.
“We want to inform the whole world that a stray bullet fired by officers of the Nigerian Police killed a yet-to-be-identified soft drinks seller at Ojota, venue of the Yoruba Nation rally held July 3rd, 2021,” he said.
Meanwhile, a video circulating on social media has shown a woman alleged to be the girl’s mother weeping and inconsolable.
Speaking in Yoruba, the wailing mother said, “What happened?” as some people held her to prevent her from collapsing.
“My life is ruined. I’m already mourning a child at a young age. Who did this to me, oh God?” She wailed on.
