Checkpoint Tragedy: Stray Bullet Kills Beef Seller

But for the timely intervention of community leaders at Oko Baba near Ebute Meta in Lagos, police top shots and Chairman, Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State, Hon. Oladele Adekanye, an angry mob would have set ablaze the Oko Baba Police post.

The mob was protesting the stray bullet that killed a butcher, Muyideen Fatai, 22, when a police corporal fired shots from a checkpoint near the Oko Baba police post at the weekend.

The stray bullet shot by the cop simply identified as Corporal Adejo, hit Muyideen who was sitting on a concrete slab near a shop about 200 metres away from the checkpoint.

P.M.NEWS learnt that the corporal had targeted a fleeing commuter bus driver but he missed his target and the stray bullet hit Muyideen in the chest.

The deceased was rushed to a nearby private hospital where he was pronounced dead. The doctors could not save his life due to excessive loss of blood, it was learnt.

An aggrieved mob rushed to the Oko Baba Police post and attempted to burn it down. But the mob was dissuaded by leaders of the butchers, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Denton and Mainland council boss, Hon. Adekanye.

They pleaded with the mob not to burn down the police post because the erring cop had been arrested, detained and would be dealt with according to the law.

The mob listened to the voice of reason from the elders and left the police post but they had earlier destroyed the windscreens of some vehicles parked there.

Meanwhile, arrangements have been concluded to move the corpse of Muyideen to his hometown in Saki, Oyo State for burial.

His family has also appealed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Yakubu Alkali, to assist the family who has lost its breadwinner.

They also pleaded that the matter should not be swept under the carpet.

—Paul Iyoghojie