by Gbenro Adeoye
Deborah
| credits: File copy
| credits: File copy
It’s 17 months since Mrs. Deborah Oroja’s husband, Dele, was allegedly killed by a police bullet.
At that time, Deborah was pregnant with her first child but she has since given birth to a baby girl, Bamidele, who was named after her late father. On December 22, 2013, Bamidele celebrated her first birthday and Deborah is worried that the family is still awaiting justice 17 months after her husband’s death.
Oroja, a commercial tricycle operator in Meiran area of Lagos, was allegedly shot dead by a police corporal, Abbey Adekunle, on September 6, 2012, after a disagreement. Oroja was also the chairman of the Three-Wheelers Association, Meiran, Lagos unit.
“We are not sure if the man that killed my husband is still in police custody because the police are not telling us anything. Even till now, there hasn’t been any talk of compensation for the family by the police,” she said.
“My baby is growing bigger and so her financial needs are also rising. Things have not been easy since my husband’s death. To lose someone like that is very tough; he was like my father and mother and had sworn to protect me.”
Deborah is a 19-year-old hair dresser, who doesn’t make enough money to take care of herself and Bamidele. So Deborah and her daughter have had to put up with Oroja’s elder sister, Mrs. Oluwakemi Owolabi, since she put to bed.
“It still pains me that my husband (Oroja) didn’t ever get to see his daughter. I was eight months pregnant when he was shot dead by the policeman. He used to say he wished I had given birth. He was so eager to become a father,” she said.
“But he wasn’t allowed to see his child and care for her. The police don’t care about us or how his baby will live. I only wish my husband was here to care for Bamidele.”
Also watching Bamidele grow up, Deborah already dreads breaking the news of the nature of Oroja’s death to her when she comes of age.
She said, “Now, she still sees my husband’s (Oroja’s) brothers as her daddies. I’m not looking forward to when I will have to tell her how her father died. But I know that I will have to do it someday when she’s old enough to understand.”
Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, Owolabi called on the police to make sure that justice is done on the issue.
She said the police told the family early last year that Adekunle was in their custody, but that the family had been left in the dark since then.
“It’s been tough taking care of my sister-in-law (Deborah) and niece (Bamidele) from my meagre salary. We want Oroja’s family to be compensated so that his wife can take care of her daughter. We don’t even know if Adekunle is still with the police or not because no one is telling us anything,” she said.
Oroja was reportedly shot by Adekunle at an illegal checkpoint mounted by the police officer. Adekunle allegedly shot Oroja after the deceased told him to ask another tricyclist he had stopped to move off the road to ease traffic flow.
This reportedly angered Adekunle who shot at the tyre of Oroja’s tricycle. Then Oroja reportedly introduced himself as the chairman of the Three-Wheelers Association in the area, before he was shot at close range.
Oroja’s 77-year-old father, Chief Johnson Oroja, accused the police of not showing concern since his son’s death.
Oroja Snr said the police never visited the family nor officially commiserated with them over his son’s death.
He said, “The Divisional Police Officer, Meiran Police Station, Chioma Ajunwa, had never paid a courtesy visit to the family since the unfortunate incident.
“Chioma Ajunwa was on leave when the incident happened but the Acting DPO, Mr. Komolafe, never came to commiserate with the family. Even when Ajunwa resumed from leave, she also didn’t come. It shows that the police just don’t care at all.”
Meanwhile, commercial tricyclists operating around Meiran said that police officers had continued to harass them despite Oroja’s death.
A tricyclist, Mr. Aanu, said, “Although, there has been no shooting, the harassment and threats to shoot at us have not stopped.”
Whereabouts of detained killer-policeman unknown
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Adekunle is still unknown as the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, said she would need time to find out the latest about him.
Following questions raised by Oroja’s family about justice and compensation for them, Braide told Saturday PUNCH that she would have to reach the officer in charge of the case to comment on the issue. The family members of Oroja expressed fear that the police might have released Adekunle without prosecuting him or compensating them for their loss.
Braide said, “The case occurred in 2012 so I’m going to find out the latest on the issue. The officer was immediately arrested after the incident. What happens in such situations is that the officer will be investigated and if he is found culpable at the end of the investigation, he will be dismissed and charged to court. I will find out the latest on the case from the officer in charge of homicide and get back to you.”
Braide also called on residents to report cases of extortion and other excesses by police officers in the state to the command.
“My office also has a public complaints bureau; people should come and lodge their complaints and their identities will be kept confidential. We take such complaints seriously, especially when they bother on the image of the police force. It’s not proper for police officers to collect money from members of the public,” she said.
Ajunwa, however, said she was on an official assignment and would be available to comment on the issue at a later date.
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