A 23-year-old Ghanaian shot by the police six months ago in Abeokuta, Ogun State, says he has lost his manhood to the incident, alleging also that the police authority has abandoned him.
A police corporal, Gbenga Fashola, allegedly shot Aboagye Rasheed Jubril at his elder brother’s residence.
Mr Fashola, with two other policemen, had gone to the house to arrest the elder brother, Farouk, for allegedly befriending a hairdresser apprentice. Mr Rasheed Jubril pleaded with the policemen for an amicable settlement of the matter, which got Fashola incensed and he subsequently dragged Mr Jubril to the Sabo Police Station.
It was at the station that Fashola allegedly shot Jubril on May 11, with the bullet hitting his scrotum, after which he was rushed to the State Hospital Sokenu, where he was operated on. On discharge, he claimed to have lost his manhood.
“Doctors said I will suffer permanent disability,” Mr Jubril lamented. “I cannot sleep with a woman anymore and since I left the hospital in June, no policeman has visited me to enquire about my health,” he added.
“My life is ruined for committing no offence. The doctors said I can’t have sex again which means I can’t have a child.”
Paucity of funds
His father said the police only gave the family N50, 000 out of the N120, 000 spent as medical expenses while the weekly medical checkup ordered by the doctors cannot be continued because of paucity of funds.
He said he had to borrow money to pay for the medical bills for his child to be discharged. “The Police Commissioner asked me to see the DPO to settle the entire hospital bill but when I went to him, he told me there is nothing more the police can do, telling me that supposed my son was knocked down by a hit and run driver, what could I have done?”
Ghana High Commission officials had on May 27 visited the Ogun State Police Command Headquarters in Abeokuta with a letter asking for a detailed account of the incident and a request for compensation and thorough investigation of the matter.
When contacted, Muyiwa Adejobi, the Ogun State Police Command spokesman, said that the corporal had already been dismissed from the force and charged to court for attempted murder.
On the victim’s neglect, Mr Adejobi said, “The family should contact the Police Area Commander and if he fails to act, then I will inform the CP (Commissioner of Police) about it.”