How policeman was killed at Ikolaba — Residents

RESIDENTS of Ikolaba area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital where a policeman was killed on Friday have narrated how the policeman died, just as the police claimed one rifle with 24-round live ammunition was stolen by the attackers. News had earlier trended on social media that the Ikolaba police station was attacked and a police corporal shot dead.

The state police command had on Saturday said that the station was not attacked. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Olugbenga Fadeyi, in a statement released on Saturday said: “At about 9:00 p.m. on Friday, two policemen who were attached to Ikolaba Police Station and who were at the other side of the road of the station, were attacked by hoodlums in a moving vehicle.

“In the process, one police corporal was shot dead, while one inspector was injured. “The injured inspector is currently recuperating in the hospital. “The police station was not attacked. Immediately, the Commissioner of Police got wind of the incident, he gave the marching order to all police tactical teams, including Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Swift  Response Squad (SRS), SKYNET, Federal AND Safer Highway patrol teams, Puff Adder team, among others, to go after  the hoodlums.

“The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Operations also went there for an on the- spot assessment of the incident and all police teams were put on red alert. “Efforts are already being intensified to arrest the hoodlums,” Fadeyi said.

While speaking to Sunday Tribune, the residents while describing how policeman was killed at Ikolaba, claimed the attackers were probably going for an operation when they encountered the policemen. A resident of the area who declined to give his name said they heard gunshots in the community late at night but that they weren’t sporadic.

“It was just like some shots and it was very difficult to come out to confirm what was happening. “It was this morning  that we learnt that some hoodlums attacked some policemen and one died in the process.” Another resident of the area,  who also wanted to remain anonymous, however, claimed that the attack caught the policemen unawares for the hoodlums to have escaped from the scene after the act.

In a follow-up statement on the incident, SP Fadeyi said the hoodlums snatched an AK-47 rifle with 24-round live ammunition from one of the victims, just as he named the deceased policeman as Corporal Dada Christopher, while Inspector Busuyi Ayodele is currently receiving treatment in the hospital.

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