A yet-to-be-identified policeman has allegedly shot a young girl in Oleh, in the Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Our correspondent learnt that the victim had been admitted to a hospital, where she was receiving treatment.
A community source said the incident happened on Sunday.
The source said, “The policeman, in the company of two other colleagues who came to arrest a boy who allegedly stole a phone, was shooting indiscriminately into the air to scare away people.
“It was a stray bullet from the gun of the policeman that hit the girl in the head.
“As I speak to you, the young girl is still in the hospital receiving treatment.
“She is not dead. The policemen wanted to arrest a boy whom they said stole a phone.”
Meanwhile, the host of a Facebook public forum, Umeh Need Road, who posted about the incident, claimed that the police were after him.
The post read, “I made a post of a girl being shot by police here in IDC road on Sunday, but this Wednesday morning police came to arrest people.
“Information reaching me is that they are coming for me. Now, what is my offence? Why do they what to arrest me if they know they didn’t do it?
“This simply points to one thing. If you don’t have money in Nigeria, you will face oppression even if you are right. If the girl’s father were to be rich, they would never try this.
“They would have been begging him not to take up the case. They will silently bury the case and not think of arresting anyone.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Edafe Bright, said nobody was shot.
He said, “The lady who claimed to be shot went to a hospital. The DPO went there and the doctor confirmed that bullets didn’t hit her, so it’s not true.
“But her family insisted that she was shot. I don’t know what they stand to gain; we have a medical report.”
The PPRO also described the Facebook post as fake news, insisting that nobody was shot in the community.
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
