Soldiers Shoot 15-Year-Old Boy, Tricycle Operator Dead In Lagos

The family of a 15-year-old boy, Pelumi Sulaimon, have been thrown into mourning after soldiers attached to Operation MESA allegedly shot him dead in Makoko, Yaba, Lagos State.

According to residents in the area, the soldiers were hired by political thugs to carry out a reprisal on their opponents in the community on Sunday, February 26.

It was gathered that when the soldiers got to the community, they started shooting indiscriminately and in the process, a stray bullet hit Pelumi who was on his way to buy drinks for his friends to celebrate his birthday.

The soldiers, who were led by a political thug identified simply as Nuru, were also said to have gunned down a tricycle operator, identified simply as Aloma, whom they mistook one of their targets.

According to Pelumi’s relative, “There was a clash between members of two political parties at a base close to Makoko roundabout on Thursday night. The fight was later settled after the intervention of some residents in the area.

“After that, there was another confrontation between them during the election held on Saturday but that did not lead to a fight and we all thought it had ended there not until Sunday when a thug belonging to one of the political parties brought soldiers and stormed the base where the clash occurred the last time.

“When they got there, they did not meet their targets, so the soldiers who were attached to the OP MESA started to shoot indiscriminately and that was how one of the bullets hit Pelumi in his ribs. A tricycle rider known as Aloma was also shot dead.

“He was about getting passengers at the park when he heard the gunshots and fled. But they thought he was one of their targets and that was how they aimed at him and shot him. Even after he fell down, they came down from their van, moved close to him and shot him again in the head.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin has confirmed the incident.

He said, “The case is at the State Criminal Investigation Department. No suspect has been arrested yet and investigation is still ongoing.”