The fate of 15 years old Omeruwa Chigemezu, boy who won the first runner-up position in the junior category of the maiden edition of the One-day Governor of Lagos State Competition, now looks uncertain.

The competition was instituted the then governor of Lagos state, Senator Ahmed Tinubu in 2005.

Only last Sunday, at their Ojodu residence in Lagos, his father was killed by armed robbers while Chigemezu was left with severe gunshot injury on his right leg. The boy was making preparation along with his father, having recently been admitted into the Abia State University, when the dare-devil men of the underworld struck.

Narrating his ordeal after being discharged from the Solid Rock Hospital, Ojodu, Lagos, where he was admitted for treatment, Chigemeze said at about 9.30pm on Sunday, October 7, 2012, “after having my dinner, my mother, who sells foodstuff outside our compound, asked me to call my junior ones who were inside the house watching television. On my way back, I heard sporadic gunshots and observed people running helter skelter for dear life from the passage. So, I quickly turned back to run inside our room, but they shot into the passage and I was hit by a bullet on my leg. I fell down and started crying in pains and shouting, ‘My leg! My leg! My leg’. Between life and death, I crawled with the wound to the backyards, bleeding profusely and writhing in pains. Moments after, people came to my rescue and I was rushed to the Solid Rock Hospital, Ojodu.

“I was initially denied treatment because the hospital authority insisted on a police report. So I was taken to the Grammar School Police Station where the incident was reported and we were given the police report before the hospital could admit me for treatment.

“I only got to know that my father was killed by the armed robber, after I was resuscitated and brought back to life at the hospital. I fell into coma over the news but the doctors battled to bring me back to life. I was making final arrangements with my father on my admission into the Abia state University. I was among the first batch given provisional admission into the university. I finished my secondary school education last year.

“Now, I don’t know who to run to. My mother is only a petty foodstuff seller. She is now left with shouldering the burden of five children (all boys), all alone. That is why I would want to appeal to the government to come to our support. I am a brilliant student and I don’t want to miss the opportunity of my university education. I also appeal to well-meaning Nigerians and philanthropic organisation to come to our aid while praying God for His grace.”

Chigemezu is, however, not happy with the of the police investigation into the incident as they are yet to apprehend the culprits. In his words, “judging from my experience in this incident, it is either the police are feigning to know that a criminal incident of this magnitude involving the loss of a precious life and grievous bullet wound on a citizen of this state actually occurred in their area of jurisdiction or they just close their eyes to it.

“I am saying this because the Grammar School Police Station is very close to us at Olaleke Taiwo. They can’t deny hearing gunshots but up till the time I was shot, rushed to the hospital and later discharged five days after, I am yet to be approached by the police for my statement, and neither have they been here at the scene of the incident to ask question and find out what actually happened.”

He lamented further: “Even when we got to the police for their medical report sheet, they were asking to know the kind of gun the robbers used, weather it was cartridge or bullet? So, they cannot feign knowledge of the incident.

“So I would really want to also appeal to the government to improve on security of lives and property in the state. It is like there is no security to check the crime wave in the state. This is the second time this kind of incident is occurring in this environment and on a Sunday too. Is it bad if the police come to check me up in the hospital to know how I am faring after issuing medical report for my treatment for gunshot wound? I think the government should have a way of assisting people in a situation like this, where suddenly, you lost your father, the breadwinner of the family to armed robbery attack and you are living you in pains with no visible means of livelihood.

“I think people that find themselves in such a miserable condition like this should be given encouragement,” a distraught Chigemezu said.

In her version of the incident, Chigemezi’s mother, Mrs Florence Umeruwa, narrated that her husband was sitting outside her shop while she was arranging to close for the day, when the robbers struck. “I sent Ugemize inside to call the rest of his brothers to come and help pack the wares inside for me, to close for the day. Moments later, the robbers rushed in, shooting indiscriminately. I saw them attempting to snatch a car from a woman and the woman was resisting. I ran for dear life to no destination in particular. After the robbers drove towards Morgan Estate, one woman ran to inform me that they had shot my son in the leg. As I rushed out of hiding to see to my son’s condition, I started asking of my husband to inform him,” she said.

http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/sunday-mirror/sm-extra/lamentation-of-one-day-governor-runner-up-robbers-killed-my-dad-broke-my-legwhat-happens-to-my-education/

Very sad. I hope/pray someone will intervene in his case so that he won't loose his leg and the admission.