Allegations have surfaced against police operatives from the Dopemu division in Lagos State, South West Nigeria, accusing them of shooting a 12-year-old teenager named Aminat Alege with teargas canisters, specifically targeting her eye. The claim states that she was subsequently left at the Ikeja General Hospital in Lagos, abandoned and left to fend for herself.
The incident, SaharaReporters gathered, happened on Friday, February 9, 2024, in front of a mosque near Adam Yakubu Memorial High School, Iloro, Cement, Agege Lagos.
Meanwhile, the girl, a class three, junior secondary school student of Adam Yakubu Memorial High School, is currently undergoing surgery on the right eye side that was badly affected by the shooting.
According to the family of the teenage girl, who also shared the pictures of the incident with SaharaReporters, they called on the Nigeria Police Force to ensure they take the treatment of their daughter, adding that the hospital is demanding N2 million for the surgery while the police operatives who shot their daughter only dropped N50,000 and abandoned her.
In a “Save our Soul” (SOS) sent to SaharaReporters on behalf of the girl, some Good Samaritans in the letter titled, “Request for Urgent Intervention to save the Life of 12-year-old school girl who was a victim of Police recklessness,” are now calling on well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of the family, and save the life of the young girl.
“We are calling for the support of Nigerians to come to the rescue of the parents of Aminat Alage, a JSS 3 student of Adam Yakubu Memorial High School, Iloro, Cement, Agege Lagos. Eye witness reports claimed that the little girl was shot while entering the Mosque situated next to the School Compound after school to join her parents to observe the Jumat Friday service last week Friday 9th of February 2024.
“It was reported that some students of Iloro Secondary School were fighting themselves and some students went to the nearby Police Station to report the matter and four policemen were deployed by the Divisional Police Officer, one Mr AKeem to the scene.
“On getting to the school gate, the policemen without considering the environment, started shooting teargas canisters on the students indiscriminately. Unfortunately, one hit the 12-year-old girl in the eye and badly damaged her right eye with heavy bleeding.”
According to the SOS, immediately after the incident happened, Aminat was rushed to the Ilepo General Hospital but was rejected and referred to Ikeja General Hospital. At the Ikeja General Hospital, the management requested the payment of N2 million to carry out immediate surgery on the affected eye. “The hospital said the eye was badly damaged and needed the money urgently to perform the surgery.”
The petitioners decried that the DPO of the station and his men only dropped N50,000 out of N2 million and abandoned the little girl with her poor parent.
“We are calling on Nigerians to come to the aid of the poor parent. We need your support to fight for her life by compelling the Lagos State Police Command and his DPO to take full responsibility and save the life of the girl.”
Lamenting the situation, they said that the family can’t afford to raise N2 million, noting that the parents are already traumatised coupled with the current economic situation.
“The police must take responsibility for bad behaviour. We are calling on Lagosians to come to the rescue of the family and protect their rights and the rights of their 12-year-old girl.”
