“Before I knew it, something hit me, and I fell. It was at the hospital that I regained consciousness. I was later informed in the hospital that it was bullets that hit me."
A 75-year-old woman, Mrs Janet Bejide, has complained of persistent headache, body pains and partial blindness since August 10, 2020, when she was hit by stray bullets allegedly shot by policemen at Ire Ekiti in the Oye Council area of Ekiti State.
Bejide spoke on Wednesday at the Ekiti Judicial Panel of Inquiry on human rights violations by the police and asked for N20 million compensation for the trauma she has experienced continuously.
She said, “I was in my shop selling rice to my customers when suddenly there was tear-gas fired by the police. I had to cover my head with a cloth and bent my head to prevent the tear-gas from affecting me.
“Before I knew it, something hit me, and I fell. It was at the hospital that I regained consciousness. I was later informed in the hospital that it was bullets that hit me.
“I was also told of a lady who came to my shop to buy rice for her small baby. I was told she equally fell and died instantly from the impact of the gunshots from those policemen.
“I was hit in the back around my neck and my leg. Since that time, I have had a headache. It has not been easy to live a comfortable life; now I have a problem with my two eyes and my neck. My legs are paining me,” the septuagenarian said.
The Panel Chairman, Justice Cornelius Adetayo (retd.), adjourned the matter till January 5 for further hearing after the police counsel cross-examined the old woman.