By UCHE USIM
Aviation stakeholders have frowned at the shooting of a suspected tout by policemen attached to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos. The tout whose name could not be ascertained at press time was shot in the stomach for allegedly refusing to part with 50 euros given to him by a passenger he helped move her luggage from the car park to the terminal building.
An eyewitness, who confided in Sunday Sun said: “The victim brought the luggage in a trolley and the woman gave him the money. Somebody who saw the woman give him the money told a police corporal on duty.
So, when the corporal came, he ordered the man who looked like a tout to hand over the money to him, but he refused, prompting the policeman to shoot him in the stomach region,” he said. It was further gathered that the victim was immediately rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where he is being treated for gunshot wounds.
The man, Sunday Sun learnt, recovered to the level of talking, but the hospital officials barred journalists from seeing him. Bureau de Change operators at the MMIA, who spoke with Sunday Sun lamented a sharp increase in touting at the airport, especially at night. “Some of them work with the police. So, shooting this man is strange and shocking,” one of them said.
When contacted on phone, Commissioner of Police, MMIA Command, Samuel Olatunji Caulcrick said, “The matter is being investigated. The man that was shot is a suspected tout. We have arrested the policeman who shot him. He will explain the circumstances that led to the shooting. There are guides and procedures for using firearms. We don’t know if the man in question exhibited some threats,” he noted.
The Nigeria Police Force are Bunch of Thiefs and lier, Commissioner of Police, MMIA Command, Samuel Olatunji disappointed me, what does he know they call tout, we all travel at the Airport everyday and we see the way this young men help us with our heavy laugauges into a waiting cab,and whatever token given to them is for their effort, this boys never disturb or threaten passengers, dont blackname them simply bcos you want to cover the mistake of your officer, why must you shoot an armless citizen. it is only in Nigeria a police man will kill, an innocent person and they will say they kill an armrobber, your boys at the airport are money conciouse,wear mufty and disguise and see what we are saying, they can even shoot you when it come to issue of Dollars or pounce at the airport, be a man of intergrity like your IGP and stop calling the guy a tout, we all have huzzle at a point in our life. and that never made us a tout, do your investigation and see the fact.
Mr police commissioner even if the man is a tout does not mean your foolish policeman should shot him.
Nigerian police is a disgrace,they are the one dat recruted tout in2 police force 2day de r talkn of tout,shame 2dem