A wave of tension swept through Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Tuesday morning following the tragic death of a secondary school student, Taiwo, who was allegedly struck by a stray bullet fired by an unidentified police officer.
In a heart-wrenching scene, protesters—led by the grieving father of the deceased—marched to the Oyo State Secretariat in Agodi, demanding swift and decisive justice for the boy’s death.
Eyewitness accounts reveal that the incident occurred in the Alakia area of Ibadan, within the Egbeda Local Government Area. A police officer, reportedly attached to the Oyo State Road Transport Management Agency (OYRTMA), was said to be attempting to shoot the tyre of a vehicle driven by an alleged internet fraud suspect. Tragically, the bullet struck Taiwo, who was seated in the back seat of the car alongside his brother while their father drove them to school.
Taiwo, who was actively participating in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), was rushed to a nearby hospital before being referred to the University College Hospital (UCH), where he was confirmed dead.
Addressing the protesters, CP Sunday Odukoya, Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, assured the grieving family and gathered crowd that the state government would leave no stone unturned in ensuring justice is served.
