I want Justice for my family, says 9 yr-old whose mother was shot dead by cop

Mrs. Comfort Indongesit Udoh looked forward with great expectation to the first birthday of her fourth child, Elijah Udoh.  This is because Elijah’s birthday fell on same day with the country’s Independence anniversary, October 1.   Infact, preparation towards the ceremony was reportedly first discussed with her husband two months ago where a conclusion was reached to mark it in a low key with families and friends.
Unfortunately, the D-day came last Thursday but she never lived to witness it, no thanks to a bullet from a Police Corporal attached to the Isheri Osun division which shattered her skull.
The deceased, Mrs Udoh, in the company of her  husband , Mr Godwin Sunday Udoh and their four children:  Mary (12) , Blessing (9), Abraham (7) and Elijah who was then 11 months old, reportedly left their Idimu abode in a tricycle driven by Mr Udoh, on September   16, 2015.
Tricycle operator
Destination was the Gospel of Faith Church  situated in Ijegun to attend a vigil. Time was 11pm.  However , they were accosted by a Police Corporal  along Ijegun Road who allegedly demanded for N2000 from the supposed tricycle operator for driving late.
Explanation by Udoh that the people  in the tricycle were members of his family and not passengers as claimed by the policeman fell on deaf ears.
At that moment, his wife, Idongesit Comfort, who was carrying  their youngest child , Elijah, reportedly alighted  from the tricycle and showed the policeman her Bible, with an explanation that she was not a passenger as assumed , but the operator’s wife.
But the Police Corporal, Musefiu Aremu,  was said to have insisted on getting his money. Apparently angry at his defiance, Udoh reportedly entered  his tricycle, with his wife following behind. But to the shock of all , Corporal Aremu said to have  earlier threatened to shoot if Udoh attempted to move the tricycle from the spot, made true his threat as he released two bullets  from his AK 47 rifle.
One of the bullets reportedly hit Mrs Udoh , who fell off the tricycle with Elijah on her bosom. The bullet was said to have pierced her skull and hit Udoh in the jaw.
While Udoh lived to tell the tale, that unfortunately was not the case with his wife,  as she reportedly died moments before reaching the hospital.
When Vanguard Metro  visited their Idimu residence on October 1, everyone at the birthday party  wore long faces. Rather than celebrating with little Elijah who was apparently oblivious of the tragedy that had befallen his family, guests were seen consoling his father.
Elijah on his part, only allowed fair-skinned women to carry him. This was because his mother was light-skinned. His siblings were withdrawn , still finding it difficult to shake off the incident from their memory.
We want justice: When approached,  nine-
year-old Blessing said: “All we want is justice for my family. I want  government to take care of my family. My father is not working anymore since the incident,as  he is  still undergoing treatment at the  Lagos State University Teaching Hospital”.
Narrating how her mother was shot, she said amidst tears: “ We were all in the    Keke Marwa when we heard the gunshot. Immediately, my mummy fell down; she fell on Elijah. She could not move. Blood was all over her . Elijah was crying from where he was trapped under her. My daddy was shouting: ‘They have killed me ooo’. But no body came to help us. Everybody ran away .
“My elder sister, Mary,  was screaming, calling for help. I was the only one that went and held one of the policemen by the trouser. I was shouting at the top of my voice that ‘you people have killed my mummy. Come and take my mummy to the hospital’. Later some policemen came and brought Elijah out of my mummy’s grip. His body was covered with blood.
Police woman
“My Daddy was taken away while a police woman took us to her house and gave us food and water. She told us to sleep that we would see our mummy and daddy next day. But up till now, we have not seen our mummy”.



Check the Vanguard newspaper for the full story.