Eyewitnesses recounted that a team of immigration officers arrived in two Toyota Hilux vans and positioned themselves near a local bridge, drawing scrutiny from residents. 

One resident, identified as an ‘honourable’ with a prior dispute involving the officers, approached them demanding that the local council chairman be notified before any operation.

The confrontation escalated when the team leader ordered the man’s arrest. He fled, prompting a chase during which one officer brandished a cane. 

A gunshot followed, missing the fleeing resident but piercing a nearby house wall and hitting Elizabeth.

“The woman was just resting in her room when the bullet hit her,” a community source told reporters.Elizabeth, whose arm bone was shattered by the bullet, was first rushed to a nearby clinic before being transferred to Badagry General Hospital for treatment.

Videos circulating on Facebook showed frantic residents aiding the victim while confronting the officers to prevent their escape. Shouts included: “You have shot the lady! Don’t go! They have shot her in the arm. You’re not supposed to shoot!” and “You can’t go. You can see what you’ve caused. 

“The gunshot has wounded her!”In retaliation, angry youths set the immigration checkpoint ablaze, with footage capturing thick flames consuming the structure.

Badagry Federal Constituency representative Sesi Whingan condemned the incident in a Facebook statement: “I received with deep concern the distressing incident… where an officer… reportedly fired a shot that struck Hunsu Elizabeth while she was inside her home. We are grateful that her life was spared, and I pray for her swift and complete recovery.”

Labeling the event “deeply troubling,” Whingan highlighted recurring dangers from security checkpoints along the Badagry–Owode–Seme corridor, where officers chase civilians into communities, endangering lives.

“This situation is unacceptable and must not continue,” he said, vowing to engage Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Customs Service leadership for accountability and reforms prioritizing public safety.

He urged residents to remain calm: “Let us not take the law into our own hands… Badagry has always been a peaceful, resilient, and united community. 

We will not allow the unacceptable actions of a few individuals to define our collective identity or disturb our peace.”