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Family demands justice over killing of man by police officer


The family of Yemi Ajayi, a 32-year-old man who was killed by a police officer in Ibadan, has demanded justice from the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police in the state over the killing of their son by a police officer.

 

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr Ajayi died after he was shot by one of the policemen attached to the Agodi Area Command in Ibadan last Thursday.

 

Mr Ajayi was shot at Iwo Road.

 

Mr Ajayi was killed at a time he was reportedly preparing to move to his newly built house in Ibadan, the state capital. A family source said that Mr Ajayi, whose wife is pregnant, was expecting his first child at the time he was killed.

 

Mr Ajayi and a relative, Kayode Atanda, were accosted by three police officers while coming from Monatan area of Ibadan on Thursday.

 

The policemen stopped Mr Ajayi and Mr Atanda in their Toyota Camry car, while going to the Egbeda area of Ibadan.

 

After stopping their vehicle, one of the policemen shot at Mr Atanda, who drove the car but the bullet hit Mr Ajayi in his stomach. He died before he was rushed to the hospital.

 

Mr Atanda was also later admitted at the University College Hospital (UCH).

Family cries for justice

However, the family of Mr Ajayi has urged the Inspector General of Police, Muhammad Abubakar, and the state Commissioner of Police, Nwachukwu Enwonwu, to ensure the police officer who shot at Messrs Ajayi and Atanda are brought to book.

Mr Ajayi’s elder brother, Sola Ajayi, who spoke on behalf of the family, said that the police should investigate the officer who shot their bread-winner.

 

Sola Ajayi told PREMIUM TIMES that the family has spent over N200,000 to treat Mr Atanda who is still responding to treatment at the UCH.

 

He said when the family heard about the unfortunate incident, they went to the testing ground police station to confirm but it was only their vehicle that was at the station. He added that police abandoned the wounded Mr Atanda at the UCH.

 

Sola said that the family had to take up the responsibility of footing the bill when they could not see the policemen.

 

“It was one of his close relation, Kayode Atanda, who drove the car.

 

“Kayode Atanda was shot by the policeman, the bullet went to hit my brother, Yemi Ajayi who sat beside Kayode Atanda.

“On Thursday while they were coming from Monatan, they were going to Egbeda and the police men stopped them at Iwo Road under bridge. The three policemen stopped them and before the driver could stop, one of the policemen shot Kayode Atanda and the bullets went to hit Yemi Ajayi.

 

“The policemen did not want to take them to the hospital, it was the people of the area that raised the alarm. We went to the area commander and he wanted to dodge us. Later, they told us that three policemen have been arrested and are at Iyaganku CID.

“We want the IGP and the commissioner of Police to wade in. We want them to cater for the one that is still alive, the family has spent over two hundred thousand naira at the UCH. Kayode Atanda is still at UCH.

 

“Olayemi Ajayi was about to move to his newly built house and his wife is still pregnant. We have not even informed her about the incident.

 

“It was only Kayode Atanda, our cousin who was rushed to the University Teaching Hospital (UCH) for treatment that we met in the hospital. I pray the arm is not later amputated.”

 

The Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Police Command, Olugbenga Fadeyi, confirmed the killing of the deceased by the police officer. Mr Fadeyi told our correspondent that the state command had begun an investigation into the matter.

 

Mr Fadeyi, in a reply to PREMIUM TIMES’ enquiry said; “A police patrol team of ACPOL Agodi who were on routine patrol at Iwo road interchange Ibadan on 09/07/2020 at about 1215 pm stopped a Toyota Camry car having two occupants after shout of thief in which they alleged to have refused to stop and in the processed one of the Policemen fired a shot at the vehicle which hit one Kayode Atanda ‘m’ on his upper arm while Adeyemi ‘m’ was hit on his stomach and were rushed to Police hospital Agodi for treatment, but Adeyemi was later confirmed dead by the medical personnel while Kayode Atanda was responding to treatment.”

 

“The CP had ordered investigation which has commenced into the incident at the CID, Iyaganku, pls.”

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