Popular actress, Mercy Aigbe-Gentry, pulled a
crowd in Osogbo, Osun State when she had an altercation with the police few
days ago in the state’s capital. The actress who narrated her ordeal to
Saturday Beats, said that she has never had such an experience in her life.
“I was shooting a movie in Osogbo and was
going for a break with my PA and driver when we saw a police van chasing us.
They later double crossed us, came out of their van and started banging on the
bonnet of my car ordering us to come down. Before I knew it, there was a crowd
and they began to boo the policemen so they called for back-up.
“I was scared for my life when the police
surrounded me and began to shoot sporadically, I could have lost my life
because I have read on many occasions how people died in a similar scenario.
Stray bullet could have hit me. When they started shooting, everybody took
cover and I had to quickly lie down in my car. No one has ever pointed a gun at
me in my life and I was so scared because anything could have happened.
“We were not expecting a second batch of
police to come to the scene of the incident neither did I expect them to shoot
into the air. We were about leaving when the second batch of policemen came and
began shooting in the air, I did not know what was happening at that point.
Everybody had to run away and take cover for their lives. I was really shaking
out of fear and it was very visible.
“The way they chased my car and ambushed us
was very frightening. As I alighted from the car, I brought out my phone and
began to record the incident. One of them forcefully took my phone and another
slapped my personal assistant because he was also recording with my ipad. I was
really scared because I have read a lot about trigger-happy policemen. I did
not want the situation to get out of hand because there was a crowd and people
began to boo the policemen saying that’s the way they behave, harassing
innocent citizens.”
The actress said, “I feel that if not for
God, I could have lost my life when I was assaulted by the police because when
the police slapped my personal assistant he began to ask for his gun and I was
really scared. Who knows what he would have done if he was with his gun. I had
to tell my PA to keep calm and I had to make sure that everything was under
control because I have heard of a lot of similar situation where people lost
their lives. I was very scared but I am okay now.”
She emphasised that she was displeased with
the attitude of the policemen but thank their boss, an Assistant Commissioner
of Police, who she said cautioned his boys, apologised to her and made sure the
policemen apologised to her because of their brazen attitude.
“I was disappointed at the police because I
believe that as the custodian of the law they should not cause such a commotion
and they should not harass citizens. If they are harassing the citizens they
are protecting, who would we run to in times of trouble? We are not safe
anymore. The police really need to do something about their men and train them
properly. I came to the realisation that if a policeman could do that to me
then who can we trust, we are not safe anymore because they cannot protect us,”
she said.
0 Comments