Policeman in Pursuit of Criminals Shot Dead in Ibadan
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Policeman in Pursuit of Criminals Shot Dead in Ibadan
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
A police officer attached to Moniya Divisional Police Headquarters in Ibadan was shot dead by hoodlums while in pursuit of suspected criminals in Ibadan.
The incident occurred at Moniya Motor Park in Akinyele Local Government Area of the state.
INCNews247 gathered that the police officers attached to Moniya Area Command, under Oyo State Police Command, were attacked while on a lawful intelligence-led stop-and-search operation around a major black spot at about 10.15 a.m on Monday.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Adewale Osifeso, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Monday in Ibadan.
According to Osifeso, the team, led by one Insp Stanley Ikhine, stopped an ash-coloured Lexus 350 SUV with a faintly inscribed worn-off number plate, which aroused suspicion from the officers on watch.
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The vehicle initially complied with the officers’ directive before eventually picking up speed and dashing off to evade the officers on duty.
In the process, the officers gave chase to establish further clarity of facts.
The vehicle veered off the road a few meters away from the initial stoppage point to a nearby garage, where it drove directly into the waiting hands of hoodlums who were also collaborators in the criminal process.
The hoodlums obstructed the officers from discharging their duties and aided the escape of the SUV and its occupants.
In an unprovoked attack, the hoodlums attempted to forcefully drag a rifle from one of the officers, which led to a shot being discharged from the barrel during the process of the struggle.
The officer, INCNews247 further learnt suffered a heavy blow to his skull, inflicted by one of the hoodlums while preventing them from dispossessing him of his firearm.
The body of the deceased officer has been deposited at the state morgue for a post-mortem, while seven persons have been arrested, and 12 motorcycles impounded in connection with the incident.
Preliminary investigation showed that the patrol team was acting on credible intelligence through visible policing duties and extended its presence to some black spots, highways, and roads to deter criminal elements from settling and establishing dominance within the area.
