CONFIRMED: Police Who Killed Oyo Schoolboy Were Chasing Traffic Offender — Not ‘Yahoo Boy’

The police shooting that led to the death of a schoolboy in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday was an attempt to apprehend the boy’s father for violating traffic rules, alphanewsng has gathered.

A source had earlier told alphanewsng that the police were in pursuit of a suspected Internet fraudster when they fired a gunshot that hit the 14-year-old student.

However, new footage from the incident shows a joint task force comprising officers of the Oyo State Police Command and the Oyo State Traffic Management Authority (OYTMA) trying to stop a Black Honda Accord belonging to Odunayo Alade, the father of the deceased boy, for violating traffic regulations.

READ ALSO: Policemen ‘Chasing Yahoo Boys’ Shoot, Kill Schoolboy in Ibadan

The video captures the moment officers attempted to stop the fleeing father. A gunshot is heard, followed by voices in Yoruba: “They should pursue him”, “let’s go”, “he can’t escape”, “he shouldn’t have gone”.

Moments later, the vehicle comes to a stop, and a crowd gathers. The boy is seen lying on the ground, with officers present at the scene. Two men lift him in an attempt to place him in the father’s car. As they do, blood is visible on the pavement.

Voices in the background are heard asking, “Who fired the gun?” A man, believed to be the boy’s father, is also seen dragging a police officer, possibly the one who fired the shot. He can be heard wailing: “Shoot me; you have to shoot me too.”

 

A statement issued late Tuesday by CSP Osifeso Adewale, the police public relations officer, noted that Alade had driven against traffic around 7:45 am along the Airport Roundabout in the Alakia area of Ibadan when the joint task force tried to stop him.

“Rather than complying with lawful directives, the driver allegedly accelerated towards the enforcement team in an attempt to evade arrest, ramming into two OYTMA vehicles and a Police Buffalo Patrol truck,” the statement reads in part.

The police said barricades were mounted to halt the fleeing vehicle to prevent further harm to officers and other road users. “However, the driver reportedly broke through these barricades, continuing to drive recklessly and endangering lives.”

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During the chase, a police corporal discharged his firearm, piercing through the car from behind and hitting the boy behind the driver.

He was rushed to a hospital, where he was confirmed dead on arrival.

According to the police statement, the officer who fired the shot has been taken into custody, and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.