Protest in Ibadan as policeman kills passenger over alleged bribe
From Tunji Omofoye,
Ibadan
A PASSENGER identified as Saheed Aborisade was allegedly shot dead by a policeman at checkpoint in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Saheed, a butcher, was purportedly killed by the officer over the driver's failure to give a N20 bribe.
The incident was greeted with protests in some parts of the metropolis by residents, who later headed for the Governor's Office, where they asked the state government to step into the matter and ensure the prosecution of the suspect.
According to witnesses, Saheed was killed at a roadblock mounted by the policemen on Orogun-Ojoo Road, Ibadan.
The victim and his colleagues, all butchers, reportedly boarded a truck to Akinyele cattle market to buy cows when the policemen stopped them and demanded for N20 from the driver, Mr. Liasu Olalere.
Narrating the incident, Olalere told The Guardian that he had assured the policemen that he would settle them while returning from the trip.
As soon as he moved the vehicle, Olalere said that he heard a gunshot, which hit Saheed.
He said: "I approached one of them to explain to him that we will do the right thing when we are returning and this policeman obliged and said we should proceed but to our surprise, we heard a gunshot."
One of the three persons who sat at the back of the truck with Saheed was also hit on the leg by a bullet. He was later rushed to a nearby hospital.
When the news went round, hundreds of angry residents led by some butchers stormed the Governor's Office at the State's Secretariat, Agodi to protest the murder of Saheed.
The Secretary of the Oyo State Butchers Association, Mr. Tunde Ajala, who led the protesters, said the latest killing was the third on members of the association in recent times.
The protesters demanded to see Governor Rashidi Ladoja to explain their plight so that the police authorities would prosecute the erring officer. The body of Saheed was brought to the Governor's Office.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Protocol, Chief Bola Alphonsu who pacified the demonstrators, urged them to be law abiding, assuring that everything would be done to bring the suspect to book.
When contacted, the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Babatunde Shodimu confirmed the incident and said that the suspect had been arrested.
He described the incident as unfortunate and appealed to the butchers and the public to be patient so that the matter would be properly investigated.
Shodimu said that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Moses Anegbode, was disturbed by the incident and had promised to deal with the officer if investigations indicted him.
"We are surprised that police officer could pull the trigger and shoot an innocent person to death in spite of the efforts by the police authorities to maintain good relationship with the pubic," he said.`
