Imagine police operatives, whose duty it is to protect lives and property, shooting indiscriminately at people in anger? That was what reportedly happened in Ogun State, where a civil servant, Ola Hammed, has cried out for justice after his left foot was shattered by a bullet allegedly fired by an operative of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad attached to the state police command.
Hammed said in a Facebook post that the policeman who shot him, was among a team of SARS operatives attacked by some residents in the Ibara, Abeokuta area of the state, after a man was brutalized for videoing a fight involving policemen.
According to him, the angry policemen opened fire on people, adding that commuters and traders fled the area to avoid being hit by stray bullets.
But unfortunately for the victim, he said one of the policemen accosted him and accused him of being among the mob.
He said he had denied the allegation but the policeman still shot him at his leg.
Hammed, a Physics teacher, shared on social media page pictures of his shot leg, and said the police authorities has refused to investigate the incident or arrest the policeman.
He wrote, “My ordeal in the hands of the Federal SARS men happened on June 12, 2018. A fight erupted from an argument between a man and a FSARS team stationed under the Ibara Bridge, Abeokuta.
“The incident, which lasted for hours, drew the attention of many passersby and okada riders. At a point, one of the SARS officers spotted a guy among the crowd taking a video coverage of the incident. He approached the guy and started beating him up.
“The disgruntled crowd got angry and started throwing stones at the SARS operatives. The next thing we heard was that they (FSARS) opened fire, shooting continuously. They aimed at people with the intention to kill.
“Though some people were miles away from the scene of the incident, we all took to our heels, running for our lives because of stray bullets.
“One of them (cops) accosted me. I told him that I did not have anything to do with the stoning. I was saying that and moving away from him. He said, ‘I will spoil your leg,’ and the next I heard was a gunshot.”
Hammed said he discovered that he had been hit by a bullet in the left foot and was rushed to a private hospital, from where he was referred to a general hospital in the area.
He said he had been in pain as he could not sleep at night since the incident.
“I can barely leap on the other leg. I cannot sleep at night due to the pains I go through, while the person that perpetrated this inhuman act is out there in the comfort of his home,” he added.
Hammed believes that the SARS operatives misused their weapons and deserved to be sanctioned.
He also narrated how a few days after he was shot, the policemen allegedly invaded another Ogun community to disrupt a programme which led to the death of one Awilo.
“I want the Ogun State Government to act fast on the issue before the operatives wreaked more havoc on innocent and defenceless citizens. The conduct and operations of the SARS men have sent many Nigerians to their early graves,” he said.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, could not be reached for comment as his phone was switched off. Neither has he responded to a text message sent to him.
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