Nigeria Police Breaks Silence Over The Killing Of Jimoh Isiaq, EndSARS Protesters In Ogbomoso

A young Nigerian, Jimoh Isiaq was shot in Ogbomosho during an #EndSars protest on Saturday and later died from the resulting injuries, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has confirmed.

The Governor also said seven others sustained injuries during the protest and have been taken to the hospital for treatment.

Eyewitnesses said Isiaq was standing along the road when he was shot by the Nigerian police.

Human rights organisation, Amnesty International also said Isiaq was shot by the police.

The Oyo State police command, in a statement on Saturday, denied that they were involved in shooting at protesters.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some youths had, on Saturday, stormed major streets in Ogbomoso to demand the ban of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), an arm of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

One of the protesters was said to have been shot by the police in the process.

An eyewitness told NAN that the victim was shot in the leg by the police when the protesters reached Owode police station in Ogbomoso.

The witness said that the man was shot, as the policemen were trying to ensure that the station was not attacked by the protesters.

He added that the victim had been rushed to an undisclosed hospital in the town.

However, the Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Olugbenga Fadeyi, in a statement issued in Ibadan on Saturday, said that the police did not fire a single shot at any protester.

Fadeyi said that the protesters were allowed to express their grievances for over one hour.

“According to the information I gathered from the officers monitoring the protest, the police did not fire a shot at anybody.

“The protesters were allowed for over one hour to carry out their protest and express their grievances until when some of them wanted to forcefully enter the police station with a view to attacking it.

“The police only fired teargas to disperse the protesters; they did not fire shot at anybody as widely reported,’’ Fadeyi said.

(NAN)