The mother of a 20-month-old girl, Bintu Omole, has demanded justice after her daughter, Omole Taiwo, popularly known as Tayelolu, was allegedly shot dead by a police officer during an operation in the Nosamu area of Ajegunle, Lagos State.
The bereaved mother made the demand in a video interview published by News Central on Tuesday, November 10, following the death of her daughter, who was reportedly hit by a bullet fired by an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Omotayo Olajide.
The incident occurred on Thursday, November 5, between 9:30pm and 10pm, when police officers reportedly responded to a clash between two rival groups, identified as Nosamu Boys and Alayabiagba Boys, over toll collection.
However, the victim’s family has challenged the police account, insisting that there was no clash in the area when the shooting occurred.
According to a statement by the Lagos State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, Olajide’s firearm discharged during the operation, hitting two girls.
The children were immediately taken to Ajeromi General Hospital for medical attention. However, Taiwo was later transferred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, where she eventually died.
The other injured girl was reportedly receiving medical attention and remained in stable condition.
The police had earlier detained Olajide as investigations into the circumstances surrounding the shooting commenced.
Recounting the incident, Bintu said she was sitting with other people inside a shop when they heard a police siren before a police vehicle suddenly sped into their area.
She alleged that an officer brought out his firearm from the vehicle and fired in their direction, adding that she initially mistook the gunshots for tear gas.
“I just kept hearing the siren from the police vehicle. We were seated in our shop and were not bothered because we were not on the main road.
“Then we noticed the police vehicle speeding into our area. An officer brought out his gun from the vehicle and fired in our direction. I initially thought they had fired tear gas,” she said.
The mother also spoke emotionally about the loss of Taiwo’s twin sister, Kehinde, who died shortly after their birth, describing the death of her surviving daughter as another devastating experience.
“My daughter has a twin, but we lost the twin (Kehinde) shortly after their birth. The pain I went through during pregnancy was not easy,” she said.
Demanding that the officer allegedly responsible for the shooting be held accountable, Bintu expressed fear that her daughter’s death might go without justice.
“The police in Ajeromi have made me cry.
“I don’t want the police officer involved to go unpunished. May God arise and fight for Tayelolu. Her death must not be in vain,” she appealed.
Taiwo’s father, Femi Omole, also rejected the police account that officers were responding to a clash between rival groups, insisting that there was no fight in Nosamu on the night his daughter was shot.
“No, there was no fight in Nosamu on that day. Even when there was a fight (in previous times), the police don’t go there to shoot,” he said.
Similarly, Sekinat Abolarin, a relative of the other injured girl, alleged that there was no confrontation in the area when the children were hit by bullets.
“There was no fight at all. If there had been any fight, we would have taken our children away from the shop,” she said.
Abolarin confirmed that the injured girl, who is the daughter of her younger sibling, was receiving treatment at a general hospital.
The conflicting accounts have raised further questions about the circumstances surrounding the shooting, particularly the alleged discharge of a police officer’s firearm during the operation and the presence of children in the area.
As of the time of this report, the Lagos State Police Command had not announced the outcome of its investigation or disclosed whether any disciplinary action had been taken against the officer involved.
The family continues to demand justice for the deceased toddler, insisting that those responsible must be held accountable and that her death must not be allowed to go without consequences.