Drunk policeman’s gunshot shattered my life — 43 yr-old Graphic Artist

By Henry Ojelu

In 2011, newly married Tomori Gbolagade had everything to live for. With a beautiful wife, a nice car and a good-paying job in one of the best entertainment companies in Lagos State, Tomori looked to the future with hope.

The tall talented young man even dreamt of starting his own creative company one day and employing some young creative minds like himself.

All that dream evaporated in a second as the hot bullet from the rifle of a drunken police officer pierced his car boot, ripped through his back seat and eventually lodged into his right hand. Since then, Tomori has been fighting for his life, career, marriage, mental health and justice against the Nigeria Police.

Below is the narrative of his torturous ordeal as a police accidental discharge victim.

How it happened

The incident happened on September 31, 2011. I was working for Wale Adenuga Production as a Creative Director. We had an event at the National Theatre at Orile-Iganmu, Lagos on Friday, September 31.

So I worked very late in preparation for the show. I left the office around 10:30 pm. On my way home to Egbeda while driving in the company of a friend, on getting to a roadblock mounted by policemen in front of the Egbeda Police Station, I was flagged down.

Two other cars were behind me. As I tried to pull off the road as instructed by the police officers, I suddenly heard gunshots and everybody started scampering for safety.

Within seconds, we heard another gunshot and I felt some coldness on my right hand.

It was then I realised I had been shot. My hand was filled with blood. The gunshot came through the back, piercing my boot and back seat before hitting my right hand which was on the armrest.

I immediately came down from the car shouting that I have been shot. To my greatest surprise, as I moved towards the police officers, they started running away. My friend quickly rushed me into the Akowonjo Police station which was actually where the road block was mounted.

Immediately they saw me drenched in blood, they refused to let us inside their station. They kept asking us useless questions about who shot me whereas they saw what happened. It was later that we were told that the officer that fired the gunshot was dead drunk.

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