Following a confrontation between police officers and suspected internet fraudsters, also known as “Yahoo Boys,” tension erupted in Ibadan’s Moniya neighbourhood on Tuesday.
Eyewitnesses said that during a stop and search operation along the Ijaye-Iseyin route, police mounted a roadblock, which is when the altercation allegedly started.
One of the purported Yahoo Boys fired at the police officers in an effort to flee, but the bullet went off-target and killed one of the officers.
Following the incident, businesses, the Moniya Butchers Market, and the garage were all locked, paralyzing economic activity in the neighbourhood. To avoid being arrested, terrified locals also remained inside.
Several gunshots and tear gas canisters were fired into the air by the deceased officer’s colleagues as they made their way back to their office, according to a local named Nurudeen Aponmode.
Later, headquarters, Eleyele, were sent to the area to stop any further loss of law and order.
The police officer’s death was confirmed by the police public relations officer (PPRO), Adewale Osifeso, in a statement. According to Osifeso, the police officer was attacked by thugs while lawfully performing his duty on the road.
According to the PPRO, the police officers were sent on a mission to stop and question the alleged driver of an SUV automobile based on reliable information gleaned through performing overt acts of law enforcement.
The SUV’s driver, however, disobeyed, setting off a police pursuit that culminated at the garage where the thugs were waiting.
According to the PPRO, “the hoodlums attacked the officers unprovoked and attempted forcefully dragging a rifle from one of the officers which led to a shot being discharged from the barrel during the process of the struggle.”
He continued by saying that the dead officer paid the ultimate price for stopping them from taking away his gun by receiving a lethal blow to the head from one of the thugs.
Since then, the slain officer’s body has been placed at the State Morgue for a post-mortem examination, and twelve motorcycles have been seized along with seven suspects.
In a related development, the Commissioner of Police (CP) has mandated a covert inquiry into the events leading up to the detention of John Alabi, a journalist and Silverbird Television’s Oyo State correspondent, who was purportedly detained by police officers during the incident.
The matter has been given to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (DC SCID) so that thorough investigations can be conducted.
The CP asked locals to go about their legal business without worrying about being harassed or molested.
The post ‘Police and suspected “Yahoo boys” clashed in Ibadan, leaving one officer dead and numerous others injured’ initially appeared on reubenabati
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