On Wednesday, 19 August 2026, Owolabi Oniyiku, a 32‑year‑old tiler from Lagos, was shot dead on the Ifonyintedo–Akinde Road in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State. The fatal shot was reportedly fired by an operative attached to the Idiroko Border Patrol Team as the victim returned to his hometown for the traditional Oro festival. The incident was captured in an 18‑second viral video that showed youths shouting, “Police officers in Idiroko have killed someone,” while the victim’s body lay on the road.
Police spokesperson DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi confirmed the killing in a brief statement, saying the command was “aware of the case and investigating the case diligently.” He added that the officers involved had been arrested. The rapid arrest was followed by protests and heightened tension in the border community, reflecting long‑standing anxiety over police checkpoints that many residents associate with trigger‑happy aggression rather than routine safety enforcement.
The episode adds to a series of alleged extrajudicial actions by law‑enforcement officers in Ogun State. In March 2026, the Students’ Union Government of Olabisi Onabanjo University accused police of assaulting leaders and opening fire on unarmed students at the Oru‑Ijebu Police Station, claiming a student was shot in the hand and several others were brutalised. Police denied detaining any student, instead alleging that students breached the station gate, threw stones and bottles, and that reinforcements used teargas to restore order.
Earlier incidents cited by the Daily Post include the July 2024 shooting of betting‑shop operator Anuoluwapo in the Imala area of Abeokuta, where a policeman allegedly fired a fatal round while allegedly drunk or in pursuit of a suspect. In December 2024, a police officer in Iperu, Ikenne LGA, accidentally hit actor‑director Azeez Ijaduade in the neck while discharging a weapon into the air at a company’s year‑end party; the actor was later reported stable after treatment. The pattern stretches back to February 2020, when SARS officer allegedly pushed Remo Stars FC defender Tiyamiyu “Kaka” Kazeem from a vehicle, mistaking him for an internet fraudster, leading to his death after being struck by a passing car.
While police officials have repeatedly pledged investigations and, in the case of Oniyiku, made arrests, no substantive updates have been released on the outcomes of these probes. Civil society groups and community members continue to call for systemic police reform, arguing that decades of alleged abuse have eroded public trust in law‑enforcement agencies across Nigeria.
<small>Source: Daily Post Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>