- Safiu Kehinde
The Oyo State Police Command has denied killing a student during an investigation of a cult-related murder case in Bodija area of Ibadan, Oyo state.
As disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Command’s spokesperson, Osifeso Adewale, operatives of attached to the Command had commenced investigation into the murder of a yet-to-be identified man at a popular lounge in Bodija.
Adewale disclosed that the man was shot dead in earlier today with investigation revealing it was a cult-related murder.
Reports circulating on social media however claimed an unidentified student was accidentally shot dead by the operatives during the investigation.
As against the claim, Adewale disclosed that there no accidental discharge and no other death was recorded at the scene.
He held that normalcy has been restored at the area and the case transferred to the Homicidal section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Iyaganku with a Deputy Commissioner of Police leading the investigation.
The statement read; “The Oyo State Police Command has commenced immediate inquiry into the Bodija Murder incident that occurred during the early hours of today,02/02/25
“Preliminary Investigation reveals that a yet to be identified man was chased and shot dead few blocks away from the popular lounge located at Bodija, Ibadan.
“Also worthy of note, is that the swift presence of Police at the scene minutes after it was reported was to maintain law and order and not to further increase the pandemonium as reported by some spaces on social media where they claimed that the Police accidentally shot and killed an onlooker (Student) during the dispersal.
“Emphatically, there were no killings by the Police nor recorded death of any Student before, during and after the lawful dispersal of onlookers from the scene of crime.
“In furtherance of the above the case has since been refered to the Homicidal section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Iyaganku with a Deputy Commissioner of Police leading the investigation as directed by the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Police Command, CP Sonubi Ayodele,psc.
“Meanwhile normalcy has since returned to the area with adequate deployment of operational and intelligence Command assets to prevent an hijack of the scene by hoodlums.
“Further updates about the investigation would be communicated accordingly, please.”