A policeman in Ibadan, Oyo State on Thursday afternoon allegedly shot dead a 32-year-old businessman, Yemi Ajayi, at the Iwo Road interchange.
A witness, who pledged anonymity, told journalists that some policemen drove to the scene of the incident in a Nissan Micra car and stopped the car being driven by the deceased’s cousin, Kayode Atanda.
Kayode and late Ajayi were said to be on their way to work in a Toyota Camry car.
The source said before the driver, who had slowed down, could clear off the highway, one of the policemen started struggling with him over the steering wheel.
According to him, as the driver was trying to get out of the car, the policeman shot him on the arm and the bullet hit the stomach of the deceased sitting beside him.
The witness said: “I was here when the incident happened.
“He was about to open the car door when the drunken police officer shot him.
“All the three police officers were drunk.
“I think government needs to put end to this unreasonable killing.”
An elder brother to the victim, Sola Ajayi, told newsmen that the deceased was the bread winner of the family.
He said Yemi’s death had created vacuum in the family, especially in the life of their aged mother.
The older Ajayi said that when the family heard about the unfortunate incident, they went to the testing ground police station to confirm, but saw only their vehicle.
He said: “It was only Kayode Atanda, our cousin, who was rushed to the University Teaching Hospital for treatment that we met in the hospital.
“I pray the arm will not be amputated.”
He said that the whereabout of the corpse of his brother was unknown to the family, adding that police had abandoned the wounded Atanda at UCH.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Olugbenga Fadeyi, who confirmed the incident, said the Police Command had begun investigation into the matter.
Fadeyi said: “A team from the Area Command Police, Agodi, who were on routine patrol at Iwo Road interchange on July 10 at about 12:15pm stopped a Toyota Camry car which was alleged to have refused to stop.
“In the process, one of the policemen fired a shot which hit one Adeyemi ‘m’ in the stomach and he was rushed to police hospital, Agodi, for treatment but was later confirmed dead by the medical personnel.
“Investigation has commenced into the incident.”
