Stray bullets fired by a police officer have killed two residents of Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State.
EQToday learned that a car hit a motorcycle around 8:32 pm in the Omisanjana area of the city on Tuesday, causing the rider and his two passengers serious injuries.
“However, instead of showing concern and care for causing the accident, the guys who were inside the car that hit the bike man and others ran to the police, the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) in particular, to come and help them retrieve their vehicle from the scene of the accident,” a source told EQToday.
When the police officers got to the community, EQToday gathered, the residents became angry and demanded that the driver of the car first take the injured rider and the other two to the hospital. During the ensuing confrontation, the police discharged some shots, hitting and subsequently killing two people.
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“The community people were so angry towards the gesture of the driver who hit the man and two other people. They felt that the guys didn’t even have human feelings. How could they hit someone and run to the police to come help them retrieve their vehicle without even taking care of those they injured?” EQToday’s source asked.
“The boys who drove the car that hit the motorcycle called their police officer friend. Also, the distance and jurisdiction of the incident do not even concern the police unit that came to the scene.
“Those community people now refused the intervention of the police and insisted they should first treat the injured people. Those police officers said nobody could tell them what to do and that they had to rescue the car by fire and force. This caused a lot of noise, and for the police to have their way, they started shooting sporadically, and stray bullets hit two people on the spot. One died instantly, while the other died later.”
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EKITI POLICE COMMAND SAYS AN OFFICER ACCIDENTALLY FIRED A SHOT
Following the incident, the Ekiti State Police Command stated that one of its officers accidentally fired the shot that killed the two residents on Tuesday night.
According to a statement shared on Wednesday on the command’s X page, the officer responsible for the shooting has been disarmed, arrested and detained.
The statement also revealed that the accident, involving a Lexus car and a Jincheng motorcycle, occurred at about 10:30 pm.
“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,” the police statement reads.
On 28/05/2024 at about 22:30hrs, a Serious motorvehicle/motorcycle accident occurred involving a Lexus car and a Jincheng motorcycle along Omisanjana Area of Ado-Ekiti.— Ekiti State Police Command (@EkitiPoliceNG) May 29, 2024
“On getting to the scene, the operatives met 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 the 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.”
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