As youths,our generation depends on us for its sustainability and the political terrain knows they cant do anything without us,that is why its virtually impossible for them to mobilize old peolple for elections;they've belittled us to the extent of using us as political thugs forgetting the future belongs to us and after their major aim of acquiring political positions has been accomplished,they dump us.We're young young people and the young blood still runs in us.As a team,we have decided to come under an umbrealla to take the baton and take full responsibility of how and who governs,i want to inform all the youths of ajegunle that soonest,we are planning to come up with a forum which would act as the mouthpiece of the people,the name would be disclosed in no distance time.
One Ajegunle, One Youth!!!
Since they believe nothing can come out of Ajegunle,we would make them understand there're still agents of change that are ready to fight for a worthy cause because the story below simply depicts that of an immesurable disregard for the youths,


RECENT CHAOS IN AJEGUNLE!!!
Days after the youth in Ajegunle protested the killing of Charles Okafor allegedly by police officers from Ajeromi police station Ajegunle( in the Ajeromi-Ifelodun local government area), normalcy seems to have returned to the Lagos suburb.

But controversy still trails the number of people felled by police bullets during the face-off between the police and the protesting youth on Saturday, April 3.

While the youth leaders are putting the number of deaths at five, police authorities insisted there were no deaths.

Two sides of the mouth

At about 8 pm on Thursday, April 1, a team of police officers attached to Ajeromi police station raided a viewing centre at Layinka Street, Ajegunle, and allegedly gun-butted 24 year old Mr. Okafor to death.

The youth took to the streets two days later to protest what they termed incessant harassment by local police officers while also listing a catalogue of demands.

The initially peaceful demonstration, however, turned violent when the youth arrived at the Ajeromi police station where they had expected to be addressed by a senior police officer but were instead met by armed rank and file police officers.

Media reports had, in the wake of the crisis, quoted the police as denying culpability for the death of Mr. Okafor and the string of deaths that occurred on Saturday.

But the police public relations officer, Frank Mba, insisted the statement never came out from the police.

"I'm actually surprised that people are taking this thing out of context," said Mr. Mba, who also said he was quoted out of context by the media.

The flying bullets

While the run-in lasted, stray bullets were also flying all over the community. One of the bullets pierced through the metal doors and smashed a wall mirror at De Dawn Cuts and Styles, a beauty salon at Achakpo Street, just behind the Ajeromi police station.

"The whole doors were locked and some of the girls were working inside the shop. Thank God nobody was hurt," said Patricia Zuokemefa, the proprietor of the salon.

Another bullet went through the head of 28 year old Tunde Olotu, a staff of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Boundary-Aiyetoro Unit.

"On April 3, at about 1.30 pm at Babani Street, near Ajeromi Police Station, my brother was receiving a call when a bullet hit him on the head and he fell," recounted Solomon Olotu, Tunde's elder brother, during a press conference on Monday.

Quadri Aderibigbe was lucky. He was taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital where he is currently receiving treatment for a graze wound which he got when a stray bullet narrowly missed his eyes.

But the police said that it was sceptical about the accounts of deaths on the day of the protest and that the proponents of Tunde's death from a bullet may be spinning a yarn.

"If they said he (Tunde) died from police bullet. Why would they bury him before an autopsy is conducted?" Asked Mr. Mba.

In his response, Mr. Solomon said the family had to bury Tunde because of the swollen nature of the corpse and spirited attempts by the local police to retrieve it from them.

"The bullet smashed his head such that you can't even look at it. And by the time it was taken to the Baale (the local chief)'s palace, it had started swelling up, so we had to bury him," he said. "If anybody is in doubt, we'd take him to Amukoko Health Centre where he was buried."

Corroborating Solomon's tale was Adebayo Abdullah, a youth leader at Ojora Street.

"Na me bury am. Nobody wey no know Alangba (Tunde's nickname which translates to lizard because of his slender built). He was very popular here and everybody knew he died from police bullet," said Mr. Abdullah.

Back in business

Barely two days after the protest and killings, the police officers had resumed their road blocks and toll collections within the community. Also, dozens of armed police officers were sighted daily in front of the Ajeromi police station apparently to extinguish any ideas the youth might be having of organising another protest. There had been rumours of a second protest to honour those who were killed during the first one.

The secretary of the Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO), Tolar Dagga, said the best way to assuage the youth and residents is to hold a public inquiry so residents could air their grievances.

"Interestingly, to show the kind of government we have, a similar incident occurred last week in Ireland where a young Nigerian was killed by two Irish youth. And that same day, their minister of Internal Affairs issued a public statement apologising. Even for somebody who was not a citizen of that country, the ministry saw it necessary, And yet the kind of government we have in our country, all what has been happening in Ajegunle, neither the local government, the state government, nor the federal government, has issued a statement," said Mr. Dagga, who was initially arrested for organising the protest but later released.

A community leader, Adeshina Ojora, appealed for a better relationship between the police and Ajegunle community, especially the youth.

"Majority of our youth are graduates and I appeal to them to help educate the lower cadre people, tell them what is on the ground. But our graduates are the people showing thuggery attitude because they think they know what law says, which they don't know. If you are not a policeman you cannot know police law," said Mr. Ojora, the Baale of Alayabiagba Apapa.

Wilson Okafor, the father of one of the deceased, said that the police authorities paid him a condolence visit on Wednesday.

"I think the issue of whether to be compensated or not should be after the autopsy which is coming out next week. It is then we can talk about the compensation, but no amount of money can replace my son,"


original story by ben ezeamalu

Thanks for the article!

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kenosre:

Wilson Okafor, the father of one of the deceased, said that the police authorities paid him a condolence visit on Wednesday.

That's a first that I have heard of.

i say and will keep saying. . .nothing will change in this country until blood is spilled.Expect more to come. .