The Oyo State Commissioner of Police CP, Olukolu has today; Sunday, clears the air on the unfortunate shooting incident in Ibadan involving the police on Saturday, 13th July, 2019 as facts against fiction being circulated.  

   The incident happened at Academy area of Ibadan when a 6-man police patrol team from Alakia-Adelubi Division led by an Inspector was trying to stop a motorcyclist with an unusual number of passengers, four in all, as already corked weapon was fired and hit the rider on the left elbow and grazed his ribs while scuffling.

In a press release issued by the command ,signed by the CP Olukolu  and was made availabe to CEOAFRICA states that at the scene of the unfortunate event, mischief makers who heard the sound of gunshot concluded that a man was dead and therefore, circulated the story to the public.

The Press Release reads:

"On Saturday 13th July, 2019, a 6-man police patrol team from Alakia-Adelubi Division led by an Inspector left their office on morning duty patrol in consonance with constitutional responsibilities of the police to protect lives and properties. While on duty at Academy area of Ibadan, the team sighted a motorcyclist with an unusual number of passengers four in all, but when flagged down for routine stop and search, he refused and proceeded. Due to the positioning of the men, the armed sentry man, Sgt. Sunday Ogunkanmi who was the last man on the professional positioning made efforts to stop him. Consequently, there was a scuffle and they all fell down, and the others took to their heels but the apparently already corked weapon was fired and hit the rider on the left elbow and grazed his ribs, hence, he was hospitalized".

"The concerned mischief makers who heard the sound of the gun shot concluded that the man was dead and  therefore, circulated the untrue story. A spontaneous uninformed angry mob immediately descends on the team, damaged the windscreen of the patrol vehicle and injured two members of the patrol team. Thereafter, the mob proceeded to Egbeda Division but they were repelled, though 3 vehicles had their windscreen damaged;

 "The mob not done yet, proceeded to Alakia-Adelubi Division with a view of burning it down. At the scene,  all entreaties for understanding and peace was rejected by the multitude. They proceeded to attack the officers and men protecting the station with all manner of dangerous weapons and stones thereby damaging three other vehicles windscreens, part of the police station particularly, the sliding glasses and vandalized some of the offices and the charge room;

He stressed further that, "In ensuing  melee, one of the mobs with 25 litres of petrol began to wet the police station building with petrol and set ablaze part of it. In the process, he was unfortunately hit and lost his life on the way to the hospital while others escaped and normalcy was restored. Two of the motorcycles the mob rode to the station and the partly used 25 litres keg of petrol were recovered".

While speaking on the health state of the motorcycle rider he said, "It is pertinent to note that, the rider, Sule Ikuforiji is still alive in the ward at the University College Hospital (UCH), and not in any Intensive Care Unit (ICU) thereby responding to treatment while the police pays for the medical treatment".

The Commissioner of Police regrets the unfortunate incident culminated in the avoidable destructive disturbance of public peace in Ibadan, enjoins all and sundry to refrain from taking the laws into their hands incase of any occurrence particularly unverified rumours, and promised that,  the Command will not relent in the performance of its professional constitutional responsibilities of the protection of life and properties of the good people of Oyo State.

The Sergeant in concerned is in custody while the matter is being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department.