The Oyo State Police Command has also debunked the report that a corps member was shot by the police, just as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has also issued its own statement refuting the alleged shooting.
Instead, according to police investigation, it was a corps member who knocked down a policeman, and in a bid to evade arrest raised an alarm that he had been shot. This led to an uproar among other corps members in the area.
On Thursday, reports were rife that business activities were disrupted in Ibadan as students and traders took to the streets to protest the alleged shooting of a corps member in Oluyole Local Government Area by a police officer.
However, the Oyo State Police Command has issued a statement saying that it
“wishes to dispel rumours making the rounds about a shooting incident involving a Police Officer and a National Youth Service Corps member as mischievous and a fictitious imagination of mischief agents.”
According to the police, “Preliminary investigations/Independent Witness Accounts revealed that a reckless driving Corps member in the company of his colleagues while returning from their Community Development Service (CDS) in a White tinted Toyota Camry with Reg No ABY 237 JR was flagged down by operatives on legitimate Stop and search duties along Black Horse Area, New Garage, Off Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road.
“However, he drove directly towards the direction of the Officers, thereby knocking down, one Sgt Agbadahun Bright.
“Resolute in his actions and in a view to escape, he drove off without batting an eyelid and veered off his lane towards the direction of other incoming vehicles till he ran into a Tricycle from where the policemen caught up in him.”
The statement added that, “On sighting his returning colleagues from their various Community Development Service Groups, he immediately raised a false alarm about being shot at by the police officers thus inciting the now riotous corps members to completely cut off the flow of traffic by blocking the road and other adjoining routes before proceeding to attack any officer in sight.
“Assertively no shot was fired at the scene by any officer(s) before or after the incident at the corps member or his vehicle rather the riotous corps members smashed the side mirrors of the officer’s Kia operational vehicle, broke its windscreen and deflated all its tyres.
“The riotous corps members then pounced on Sgt Agbadahun Bright and stabbed his right cheek with a sharp object. The officer was immediately rescued by swift police reinforcement and is presently receiving medical attention.
“The Commissioner of Police however wishes to state assertively, that while being civil and professional in the discharge of their duties as expected, officers and men of the command would no longer condone acts of hostilities such as these from members of the public.
“Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing and updates would be provided in due course.”
and then