There was pandemonium in Ile-Ife, Osun State on Saturday over the death of a youth named Olufemi Oriyomi in police detention.
Our correspondent gathered that youths embarked on a protest at Mayfair, Moro and Iloro on Friday and later went to the palace of Ooni of Ife situated at Enuwa, area to seek the intervention of Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi over the extra-judicial killing by the police.
Protesters on Saturday continued their protest as they thronged the police station at Iloro. They clashed with the police and there were several gunshots fired into the air to scare protesters.
One protester was reportedly killed during the clash which caused pandemonium in the area.
This is happening barely a week after the death of a businessman named Abiola Afolabi who was shot by the police in Osogbo.
A friend of the deceased named Bisi while protesting in front of Ooni of Ife palace, said, “After three of my friends were arrested by the police, we raised N1.5 million to bribe them but they told us to add to it which we refuse. The police put them inside water and insert electric shock inside it. During the torture, Oriyomi develop a serious health issue and he later died.
“We are here protesting at the palace of Ooni to intervene in the incessant extrajudicial killings by the police in the state.”
Protesters on Saturday clashed with the police at police state located in Iloro area over the death of Oriyomi which the officers on duty repelled after they attempted to outrun them. One of the protesters was reportedly shot dead.
Meanwhile, the police command through its spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola in a statement on Saturday claimed that operatives arrested three ritualists namely Olayade Kehinde ‘M’ 25yrs, Olufemi Oriyomi ‘M’ 21yrs and Raimi Sheriff ‘M’ 21yrs on the 7th April 2022 at about 11 AM along Osogbo/OAU Ife Campus Road, the Police detectives on ‘stop and search’ duty accosted three men on a motorcycle, they were flagged down, but rather than stop, sped off, and were pursued. They were eventually arrested at Safejo area of Ile-Ife, and while searching, human heart, which they claimed was one of their friend’s and various criminal charms were found on them.”
Spokesperson, Osun police watch, Oluwasegun Idowu said the situation seems to have overwhelmed the state Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode.
“The Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode has lost the leadership of the police in the state. We are still on the issue of the killing of businessmen in Osogbo when police kill two people again.”
Vanguard News Nigeria
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