Activists march for justice over police killing of mother of 4

Kill 1

Activists led by Joe Okei-Odumakin protesting on Wednesday the killing of a mother of four by a policeman in Ikotun, Lagos in September this year.

Kazeem Ugbodaga

Activists led by Joe Okei-Odumakin protesting on Wednesday the killing of a mother of four by a policeman in Ikotun, Lagos in September this year.
Activists led by Joe Okei-Odumakin protesting on Wednesday the killing of a mother of four by a policeman in Ikotun, Lagos in September this year.

Activists staged a peaceful march on Wednesday in Lagos in protest over the killing of a mother of four children by a trigger-happy police officer two months ago.

The victim, Comfort Idongesit Udoh from Akwa Ibom State, was allegedly shot dead on 16 September, 2015 by a police officer, Musiliu Aremu who demanded for bribe from her husband, a tricycle riders, while they were coming from a vigil at Ikotun area of Lagos, western Nigeria.

Her husband, Godwin Udoh, was conveying his wife and four children in his tricycle from a vigil when the police officer stopped him and demanded for bribe, but Udoh told him he was coming from a vigil and did not have money to part with.

The police officer was said to have told him to enter his tricycle and while he turned, he fired a shot which hit Comfort on her head, came out through the other side and hit her husband on his shoulder. She died instantly.

Inside the tricycle were the woman’s four children, Mary, 12 years; Blessing, 9; Abraham, 7 and Elijah, 1.

They saw how their mother was shot dead by the police officer, who escaped after carrying out the dastardly act.

The policeman was later arrested and the case was taken to the Magistrates’ Court 6, Ebute Metta, Lagos. The case came up Wednesday, with the activists storming the court in solidarity with the deceased and her family, demanding that justice must be done.

As they walked peacefully from the court’s entrance to Oyingbo Market, they sang “All we are saying, give us justice.”

The procession was led by Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, founder, Women Arise for Change Initiative.

The protesters were armed with placards, some of which read: “Police stop wasting innocent lives,” “Police, stop killing the citizens you are paid to protect,” “Stop police brutality now,” “Train our police to respect human rights,” “Justice 4 Idongesit,” among others.

Speaking, Okei-Odumakin lamented cases of police brutality, saying that Comfort was shot dead just because her husband refused to give a policeman a bribe.

“She was even carrying Elijah, who was then 10 months old when the bullet hit her. We demand for justice because justice delayed is justice denied. Since the day their mother was murdered, the children have not gone to school. This is the time for us to take action because injustice to one is injustice to all.

“The husband of that woman was also shot in his shoulder and he could not work again. We are calling for an Education Trust Fund to be established for the children by the police. Their father has been going to LUTH all the time for medical treatment and we want all the bills to be borne by the police,” she said.

Okei-Odumakin also called for full compensation for the Udoh family from the police, saying that the police must take responsibility of the family and ensure that the children went back to school.

Little Blessing Udoh, 9, narrated how the tragic incident occurred, saying that they were coming from church when the policeman stopped her father who was riding a tricycle.

“The police stopped my daddy and hit him with the gun and asked him to give him N2,000. My daddy told him that he did not have money. He told him to go into his tricycle and opened fire, the bullet entered through my mum’s head and also hit daddy in his shoulder. The policeman then ran away,” she narrated.

Speaking, Mr. Udoh demanded from the police to take over all his medical expenses and ensured that all his children go back to school as he could not use his right hand because of the bullet which pierced his shoulder.

“I cannot do anything right now, the police must take responsibility for my health and my children’s education. I cannot talk much because the case is still in the court,” he said.

Load more