By Kassim Omomia, Executive Editor
Tunde Abass, a witness at last July’s Yoruba Nation rally in Lagos State has informed a Magistrate Court in Ogba that the police fired live bullets at the protesters.
According to him, one of the bullets shot by the policemen hit Jumoke Oyeleke who later died on the spot.
Abass, a project manager, citizen reporter, and activist, said he was at the Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota during the rally and had made a video recording of the event, Premium Times reports.
In the video, the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu was seen addressing the protesters; there was also a military presence, seen in a van with the inscription ‘OP- MESA.’
Abass claimed soldiers were only on standby and never interrupted the protesters, even when the pandemonium broke out.
He said, “The agitators were at the other side of the road, after the pedestrian bridge. The police, who started chasing and shooting at the protesters, went to the market axis where Jumoke was hit by stray bullets.”
The witness said the OP MESA, which included soldiers, were near the metallic bridge outward Maryland, where the event took place. He added that they did not engage the protesters in any way.
During the protest, the police began firing water cannons at the protesters after which they switched to tear gas canisters. They later switched to live bullets, according to Abass.
He added that when Oyeleke’s lifeless body was discovered, the police took her away in a white vehicle.
The police had denied responsibility for the lady’s death, insisting that officers never fired live bullets during the protest.
Meanwhile, an investigation into the death of Oyeleke has confirmed that she was hit by a stray bullet.