Residents Cry For Help After Police Mistakenly Shot Youth

Residents of Orile-Iju community in Ifako Ijaye Local Government area have called out to appropriate authorities to rescue their community from the hands of criminals after one of their youths was mistakenly shot by the police.

According to the victim, Kayode Faturoti, he was returning from work on Wednesday night around 11 pm when some people in mufti accosted him and told him to enter a waiting van.

"I finished work around 8pm and headed to my area, Iju-Station. Two streets away from my home, a man suddenly grabbed me and said I should enter a parked van and when I asked what I had done, they told me I duped a lady who was also with them. When I said I couldn't go with them because I didn't do anything and was just coming from work, one of them jumped down from the van and shot me in the leg".

Kayode was then moved to the Oko-Odo police station where he was finally allowed to put a call through to his boss who happened to be a commissioner in Lagos state.

The commissioner (name withheld) called the Lagos State commissioner of police who intervened and the case was moved to Panti police station where it was discovered that the policeman who pulled the trigger (Officer Ikawo) and others who carried out the assignment did so illegally as they didn't indicate at their station that they were going for such assignment . The officers are presently cooling their feet at the Panti police station.

Meanwhile residents of the community have called on the Lagos state police command to deliver their community from the hands of these criminals who are causing mayhem in their community.

President of Iju-Station Youth Forum,  Adekunle Akeem who spoke to our reporter said 'the crime rate in this community is just too much. Fraudsters have made this place their home. They come from different places with their victims and leave them here once they have collected their money and valuables. Not only that, they smoke weed in broad day light, and they rape some of their female victims. The annoying part is that when the victims go to report, the police will just swoop on the area and start arresting innocent people'.

"This is what happened in the case of Kayode. We have had cases like that in the past where innocent people were arrested and molested for acts they didn't commit."

Chief Lisa of Orile-Iju, Jimoh, also appealed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, kayode Aderanti to save the community as all their efforts have proved abortive.

He said "being a chief in this community, we have tried every means possible except violence, to rid this community of hoodlums who have decided to take over our community. We have made several reports to Area G Police Command and the Red House police station but nothing is done. So, I'm calling on the CP of police to come to our aid. We are also part of Lagos state and the Lagos we know doesn't condone any form of criminal activities.

Another resident, Mr. Mustapha also showed his annoyance at the turn of events and the failure of the Community Development Association in the area.

Mustapha said " we can see the turn of event now as an innocent man has just been shot. We have reported the activities of these fraudsters to the C.D.A numerous times but till this moment, nothing has been done."