Osun Driver’s Death: Fresh Update Emerges

THE Osun State Police Command has arrested two officers of the Nigeria Customs Service in connection with a shooting incident that left a driver dead in Osogbo on Sunday.

Correspondent learnt that the incident occurred on Sunday at the Dada Estate area of the state capital.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, the suspects were identified as Kolawole Suuti and Danjuma Samuel.

According to the statement, the officers were reportedly chasing suspected tokunbo (foreign-used) vehicles when the incident occurred.

“Following the report, police operatives swiftly responded and apprehended the two officers. Meanwhile, the driver of the said ash-coloured Toyota Corolla, one of the vehicles being chased by the Customs, was shot and confirmed dead by a medical doctor at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital,” the statement read.

The police added that the corpse of the yet-to-be-identified victim had been deposited in a morgue.

During the operation, the police said several items were recovered from the scene, including a Beretta pistol with breech number 125024, 11 rounds of 9mm live ammunition, one expanded 9mm shell, a white Toyota Corolla with Lagos registration number AAA 400 GQ, and an ash Toyota Corolla with registration number GFQ 0982.

“The suspects are currently in police custody. The Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, CP Ibrahim Gotan, has ordered a thorough investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the statement added.

The command assured the public that anyone found culpable would face the full wrath of the law and urged residents to remain calm while cooperating with security agencies by providing credible information that could aid the investigation.

Media had earlier reported that a yet-to-be-identified commuter was allegedly shot dead by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service along the Osogbo–Iwo Road in Osun State.

According to a video obtained by our correspondent, the incident occurred at the Onibueja area in Ido-Osun near a police roadblock around 10 a.m.

A resident of the area, who identified himself simply as Sunday, said the victim was driving towards Osogbo from the Iwo end of the road when security operatives in mufti allegedly opened fire on his vehicle.

“The man was driving towards the Osogbo end from the Iwo end of the road when some security operatives in mufti shot at his vehicle. He died right there behind the wheel. The car was riddled with bullets and people rushed to the scene,” he said.

When contacted earlier, Ojelabi confirmed the incident and stated that the suspected shooters were Customs operatives who had been arrested.