Police kill 2, injure others over beer

Yinka Oladoyinbo, Akure - 07.01.2008

Two people were shot dead while two others were injured in a clash with the police in Oke-Agbe in Akoko North West Area of Ondo State.

The two people, who were shot dead, were said to be protesting alleged extortion of money by a Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) (name withheld).

One of the victims, Mr. Gabriel Ayodele, was said to have died on the spot after receiving a gunshot from the police who had laid ambush for him in Aje community of Oke-Agbe. The other, simply known as Basiru, also died at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, following gunshot injury.

Trouble was said to have started when the said Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), who was alleged to be extorting the youths in the area, visited a beer parlour in Aje and demanded for a bottle of beer. The youth reportedly ignored the DCO who they claimed they had bought four bottles of beer for the previous day.

One of the youth, who was at the beer parlour when the incident happened, said the policeman later left the joint in annoyance and subsequently mobilised his subordinates to the scene.

The DCO, according to him, allegedly arrested some of the boys and later detained them at the police station for an undisclosed offence.
This infuriated the youth who were armed with leaves and staged a peaceful protest to the police station.

But they were, however, unlucky as the DCO and other policemen had laid ambush for them on their way to the station. The police were said to have fired at the rampaging youth and four persons were hit by bullets. One of the youth died immediately while three others were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

In his reaction, the Ewi of Oke-Agbe, Chief Oloruntoba Bello, condemned the attack on the youth, calling for a full scale investigation into the matter.

The traditional ruler, who described the DCO’s action as barbaric and inhuman, said he should not be allowed to go unpunished. “It has become a habit for the police in Oke-Agbe to extort money from the innocent youth. I think this has to stop because we are tired of the way our youth are being treated,” he said.

Also, the Ajana of Oke-Agbe, Oba Oladujoye Fajana, said the extortion could only be curbed if the police officers involved the killings were brought to book.

The spokesperson of the state police command, Mr. Adeniran Aremu (ASP), accused the youth of attempting to burn down a police station in the town.

Though he said he had not been properly briefed about the matter, he said the matter would be investigated.