Widow of police inspector killed during #EndSARS protest demands justice

Mrs. Olamide Erinfolami, the widow of a police inspector killed during the #EndSARS protest in Lagos has demanded justice over her husband’s death.

The slain police officer, Ayodeji Erinfolami, was shot on the stomach by unknown persons in the Surulere area of the state on October 12.

The widow, who appeared before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing allegations of high-handedness by police, claimed that her husband was shot by one of his colleagues.

Although the woman thanked the Lagos State government for giving the family N10million as compensation, she insisted that “money cannot buy our joy.”

Erinfolami said: “On the morning of October 12, my husband called me on the phone that he was going to work and I told him to call me once he got to the office.

“ I waited in vain for his call. And then suddenly someone called from Maiduguri and asked if I have heard that my husband was shot during the protest.

“ I quickly called each of his two phone lines and the lines rang out.

“About 45 minutes later, I called again and a girl picked and said my husband was shot. I asked her how, the lady said I should be praying, I should call a pastor.”

She expressed disappointment that the police did not officially call to inform her about the incident.

READ ALSO: ‘Policemen beat me till I peed on my body,’ #EndSARS protester tells Lagos panel

The widow said she saw the video footage of the incident and discovered that none of her husband’s colleagues rallied round to save his life after he was shot.

“When we got to the mortuary where the body of my husband (a police inspector) was deposited, I could not look at the remains.

“My husband has not been buried till now. They said they wanted to conduct an autopsy. I have been to the mortuary to tell them to release the corpse for burial because he has aged parents,” she added.

At the instance of the petitioner’s counsel, Mr. Gbemiga Ogunleye, the panel watched a video clip of the scene where the deceased was shot.

The footage as well as two photographs of the deceased were admitted as exhibits by the panel.

Ogunleye urged the panel to order the police to immediately conduct an autopsy and release the remains of the deceased for burial so that the “family could get a closure on the matter.”

When asked by the panel what she wanted Erinfolami simply said: “I need justice; I want justice to prevail. I want them to investigate what killed my husband.”

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