A senior secondary school student of Mayigi Community High School, Ilashe in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun, was allegedly shot dead by a police officer on Friday. The officer, who is popularly known by the alias “Freedom,” was said to be chasing a commercial motorcyclist who escaped his extortion attempt.
The deceased student, identified as Adeleye Eniola, was among a group of students who were on their way to school when the incident happened, according to Sahara Reporters.
Several other students were injured by the stray bullet fired by the officer, who is attached to the Ilaro Area Command.
The incident sparked a protest by the youths of the community, who demanded justice for the slain student and the removal of all illegal checkpoints on their roads. They accused the police of unprofessionalism, brutality and corruption.
The protesters also alleged that the police at Idiroko Police Station fired tear gas canisters, beat and arrested some of their colleagues who joined the demonstration. They called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the officer who killed Eniola and the release of those who were detained.
The Ipokia Local Government Youth Forum (IPYF), which confirmed the incident in a statement, described it as “unprofessional and barbaric.” The group said that the police in the area had been trained to “kill, maim, extort our people and take away our rights as citizens of this country”.
The statement, signed by the group’s secretary, Adeyemi Sulaimon Olusegun, also condemned the actions of the Joint Task Force (JTF), which was deployed to quell the unrest. The group claimed that the JTF personnel entered into the school premises and destroyed properties worth millions of naira, while threatening the teachers and students with guns.
The IPYF urged the state government and the relevant authorities to intervene and address the situation, warning that the youths would not tolerate any further harassment or intimidation by the security forces.
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The group also expressed its condolences to the family of the deceased student and prayed for the quick recovery of those who were injured.