A Policeman in Ekiti State has been arrested and detained at the state command after stray bullets accidentally discharged from his gun led to the death of two people in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
The incident occurred on Tuesday night in the Omisanjana area of Ado Ekiti, leading to confusion in the town.
The victims who were among the youths in the area met their untimely death when the police were attempting to arrest a suspected internet fraudster.
An anonymous source who spoke with LEADERSHIP said, “The fraudster had hit a bikeman and the passenger while they were being pursued by the policemen who caused the accident. But the irate youths stopped them from arresting them. It was in that process the gun was shot and two people were killed.”
Another source said, “Trouble started when some youths accosted a ‘hit and run’ driver who knocked a commercial motorcyclist and a passenger, breaking the legs and arms of the victims in the process.
“The yet-to-be-identified driver put a call to the men of the Rapid Response Squad. One of them opened fire and hit two persons in the process. They were confirmed dead at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital.”
Confirming the incident, the police, in a statement signed by the Ekiti State Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Sunday Abutu, said the officer responsible for the shooting has been disarmed, arrested and detained and will face disciplinary action.
Abutu, who disclosed that the Command is already in touch with the families of the deceased, said the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Akinwale Kunle Adeniran, commiserates with the families and assured them that discreet investigation has commenced and justice shall prevail.
The statement read, “On 28/05/2024 at about 22:30hrs, a serious motor vehicle/motorcycle accident occurred involving a Lexus car and a Jincheng motorcycle along Omisanjana Area of Ado-Ekiti.
“The Command, upon the receipt of the information, deployed the State Traffic Section to the Scene to ensure there is no breakdown of law and order as well as ensuring the safety of the victims.
“On getting to the scene, the operatives met a resistance as some irate youths disallowed them from performing their lawful duty and insisted on carrying out jungle justice. This necessitated a call for re-enforcement to assist the officers on ground.
“However, in the process, one of the officers accidentally fired a shot that fatally injured two persons.
“The officer responsible for the shooting has been disarmed, arrested and detained and shall be made to face disciplinary action immediately.”