A 45-year-old man has told the Judicial Panel of Enquiry in Ogun state how bullets allegedly fired by some police officers demanding N20 bribe on a road hit him and damaged his spine.
Olasunkanmi Fagbemi said the incident happened on August 18, 2010 at Alapako axis of the Lagos – Ibadan expressway while he was travelling to Ibadan on a bus.
The officers stopped the bus driver, collected N100 and asked him to park for his N80 balance, Fagbemi told the panel in his petition.
“After parking, the driver got down for his change. While we waited, a police officer at the other side of the road just fired at our bus, the bullet hit me at the neck and turned down to lodge into my spinal cord,” he said.
“When the police officers realised the devastating effect of their action, they fled the scene with their vehicle.”
The petitioner said he was rushed to University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan where he underwent a surgery and the bullet was extracted from his spine after four days.
He said he was preparing to get married at the time of the shooting and has no child yet.
He has been confined to a wheelchair due to spinal cord injury.
He said he has spent millions of naira on medical care, being flown to India for treatment and sold belongings to fund his treatment.
The petitioner added that he had written severally to different authorities concerned and even to Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, after which two police officers were sent to investigate the matter but ever since then, over 10 years ago, nothing was done.
Responding, the panel chairman, Justice Solomon Olugbemi disclosed that a letter would be written to the Ogun State Commissioner of Police to release Officers in Charge of Legal and X-Squad departments to appear before the Panel with all necessary documents to give evidence.
The petition was thereafter adjourned to April 1, 2021 for further hearing.
