Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola has described the shooting of unarmed citizens as a completely unacceptable, irresponsible and condemnable act which could have been avoided.
Governor Oyetola was reacting to the police shooting of Toba Adedeji, The Nation Newspaper, Osun reporter and a yet to be identified lady by unknown gun-wielding police personnel at Olaiya Junction, on Tuesday.
In a statement by Ismail Omipidan, his Chief Press Secretary, Oyetola noted that it was unfortunate that the sad incident occurred while the citizens were mourning the death of a loved one.
The Governor called for a thorough investigation of the incident, with a view to ensuring that the culprits were decisively dealt with in accordance with the law of the land.
While wishing those injured in the shooting quick recovery, the Osun governor also stated that such unlawful acts by the police could aggravate an already tense situation and lead to breakdown of law and order in the State.
The governor, who held that the frequency of shooting incidents involving the police was becoming a source of concern to his administration, revealed that he had directed the State commissioner of police to investigate and fish out the officers responsible and punish them.
“The frequency of these unfortunate and avoidable provocative incidents is a source of concern to us, as a government. I have, therefore, directed the State Commissioner of Police to investigate the Tuesday shooting incident and ensure that his officers who are involved in it are identified and punished in accordance with extant regulations and law,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has demanded the immediate redeployment of Olawale Olokode, the Osun Police Commissioner.
In a statement jointly signed by Wasiu Ajadosu and Bukola Elufadejin, the Council Chairman and the Secretary, the apex echelon of the police was given a seven-day ultimatum to redeploy the police boss on grounds of gross indiscipline and unprofessional conduct of the men and officers under his supervision.
The statement also called on Usman Baba Alkali, the Inspector General of Police to take the urgent step in order to save the State from incessant unrest and crisis which is credited to the lackadaisical approach to sensitive issues of security by the leadership of the command.
Osun NUJ also warned that it would no longer condone harassment and intimidation of its members, as over five members of them had been attacked by the police in the last three months.
DAILY POST reported that Toba Adedeji, The Nation Newspaper reporter for Osun was shot on Tuesday by overzealous policemen while covering a protest by friends and family members of Abiola Afolabi who was allegedly killed by police officers.
The Osun State Command of the Nigerian Police was yet to official react to the shooting, but it was gathered that the Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode and the State Commissioner for Works, Oluremi Omowaiye jointly paid a visit to the injured journalist who has since been discharged from the hospital.
The details of what transpired during the visit was not disclosed as at press time.
