A grieving mother in Lagos State, Bintu Omole, has called for justice after her 20-month-old daughter, Omole Taiwo, popularly known as Tayelolu, was fatally shot during a police operation in the Nosamu area of Ajegunle.

The toddler was reportedly struck by a bullet allegedly fired by an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Omotayo Olajide, on Thursday night, November 5, while officers were responding to an alleged dispute between two rival groups over toll collection.

Speaking in an interview with News Central on Tuesday, November 10, Bintu described the incident as devastating and insisted that the officer responsible must face the consequences of his actions.

According to her account, she was sitting with other people inside a shop when they heard the sound of a police siren. Shortly afterwards, a police vehicle reportedly drove into their neighbourhood at high speed.

She alleged that one of the officers brought out his firearm and began shooting in their direction. Bintu said she initially thought the officers had fired tear gas before realising that live ammunition had been used.

The Lagos State Police Command, through its spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, had earlier explained that Olajide’s firearm discharged during the operation, hitting two young girls.

Both children were rushed to Ajeromi General Hospital for treatment. However, Taiwo was later transferred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja, where she eventually died. The second child reportedly remained in stable condition while receiving medical attention.

The police subsequently detained the officer involved as investigations into the circumstances surrounding the shooting began.

However, the victim’s family has rejected the police explanation that officers were responding to a confrontation between rival groups. They maintain that there was no clash in Nosamu when the children were shot.

Taiwo’s father, Femi Omole, also questioned the circumstances of the operation, insisting that no fight took place in the neighbourhood that night.

A relative of the surviving injured child, Sekinat Abolarin, equally dismissed reports of a clash, explaining that the children would have been moved away from the shop if there had been any violence in the area.

The tragedy has been particularly painful for Bintu, who disclosed that Taiwo had a twin sister, Kehinde, whom the family lost shortly after birth. She said the difficulties she endured during pregnancy made the loss of her surviving daughter even harder to bear.

Expressing her anger and grief, the mother appealed to the authorities not to allow the incident to go without accountability.

She maintained that her daughter’s death should not be forgotten and called for appropriate punishment for the officer allegedly responsible.

As of Tuesday, November 10, the Lagos State Police Command had yet to announce the findings of its investigation or disclose any disciplinary action against the officer.

The family is now demanding a transparent investigation and justice for the toddler, while the surviving child continues to receive medical care.