Odunayo Alade, the father of the 14-year-old student who was tragically shot by a policeman in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday has recalled the devastating moment that claimed his son’s life.
The incident which sparked an outrage and calls for immediate investigation into the actions of the officers involved, happened on Gbagi market road in the Egbeda Local Government Area of the state.
According to reports, Police Command, Oyo State, officers were pursuing a vehicle that had reportedly violated traffic laws by driving against traffic.
Speaking to BBC News Pidgin, the victim’s father said he was taking his deceased son and his brother to school when someone hit his car from behind.
“I was driving the children to school when they hit my car from behind,” he said. “While in a state of confusion, I was reversing the vehicle when a police officer suddenly fired at my vehicle. Before I knew it, the bullet hit Taiwo. I didn’t realise it at first until his brothers alerted me that blood was gushing from his body.”
He added that when he rushed his son to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, he was declared dead as the bullet had already pierced through his stomach, causing critical injuries.
Alade said he had been the only one raising Taiwo and his siblings as their mother left the marriage a long time ago.
Following the shooting, the policeman involved reportedly fled into the Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport for safety, triggering protests at the airport gate as residents demanded justice.