- Death Toll Hits Six as Families Demand Justice
- Aderemi Adeoye of the the hospitalises victims died on September 1 after undergoing surgery and days on life support
- Omotehinse further alleged that public officials were complicit in using fronts like Ariori to dispossess traders of land under the guise of development
The death toll from the August 27 police shooting at the Owode Onírin Spare Parts Market in Lagos has risen to six, sparking renewed outrage and calls for accountability.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the incident allegedly carried out by four mobile policemen led by one Abiodun Hakeem Ariori, initially left four traders dead on the spot after officers reportedly stormed the market and opened fire indiscriminately.
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Former Lagos police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the arrest and detention of the officers while declaring Ariori wanted. He later surrendered to the police.
Tragedy deepened when two more victims who had been hospitalised succumbed to their injuries. The latest, Aderemi Adeoye, died on September 1 after undergoing surgery and days on life support.
The six deceased have been identified as Seyi Akinboye, Adeoye Taiwo, Dare Mufutau, Abraham Temilola, Wale Adebayo, and Aderemi Adeoye.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) presented grieving relatives who shared painful accounts of their loss.
Adeoye’s mother, in tears, said her son’s death had shattered her.
“He was my first son. His wife had just given birth to a baby less than seven months ago. How do I care for his wife and child now?” she lamented.
Another relative, Abiodun Temilola, narrated how his brother Idowu died on the way to Ikeja Hospital after doctors at Ikorodu General Hospital failed to remove a bullet lodged in his body.
“He had two wives and three children. He was shot inside his shop. We want justice. Innocent lives should not be wasted like this,” he said.
For the Akinboye family, the grief remains fresh. Elder brother Dauda Osokoya recalled:
“I was told my brother left his shop to buy food when he was killed. He bled to death after being shot in the thigh. Our mother is 80 years old. I lied to her that he had travelled abroad. He left behind a wife and three children, the oldest just seven.”
CHSR President, Alex Omotehinse, accused the Lagos State Government of ignoring earlier petitions by the traders against harassment and land grabbing.
“For months, Owode traders cried out for help, but their warnings were ignored. Now, their blood has been spilt,” he said.
Omotehinse further alleged that public officials were complicit in using fronts like Ariori to dispossess traders of land under the guise of development. He demanded that the police reveal the identities of the officers involved and ensure their prosecution.
“Their names and ranks must be made public. Anything less is a cover-up,” he said, while also urging the Federal Government to take over the case, citing a lack of trust in the Lagos State Government to deliver justice.
The killings have drawn comparisons with the July 15, 2023 murder of Fatai Jubril, the Baale of Lotu Town in Ibeju-Lekki, who was gunned down by a mobile policeman during a land dispute, a case still dragging in court despite legal advice for prosecution.
