The family of Owolabi Oniyiku, a man allegedly shot dead by policemen attached to a border patrol team in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State, has appealed to the state government and police authorities to investigate the incident and ensure justice.
A relative of the deceased, Kolade Oniyiku, narrated the circumstances surrounding the death in an interview with PUNCH Metro on Saturday.
According to him, the deceased had returned home to celebrate the Oro Festival and was expected to travel back on Wednesday when he encountered the policemen at Akinde Junction, where officers had seized some motorcycles, causing apprehension among other motorcyclists who feared theirs would also be seized.
He said the deceased approached the officers to ask if he could pass through before an argument allegedly broke out between him and one of them.
"He went there to ask if they could pass through the other side of their shed. The police officer began arguing with him, saying, 'Don't pass here, don't pass here,'" Kolade alleged.
"As he started turning around, the officer just opened fire on him; he didn't even move further. He didn't fight with them; he didn't do anything," he said.
The family said the deceased's remains were eventually deposited at a mortuary, which they followed the body to.
Kolade also clarified that, contrary to earlier reports, it was not the deceased's wife but his younger brother's wife who had recently given birth.
He expressed disappointment that no police officer had visited or formally contacted the family since the incident.
"They never showed up at our place, and even when we spoke with some of them, they never contacted us," he said.
Kolade explained that the deceased had been the family's main breadwinner, responsible for the welfare of his mother and younger siblings.
"What his death did to us right now is very heavy. It devastated the family because he was the one taking care of his mother. He was the one sending money to all his younger siblings. He was the one taking care of the family. It hurt the family deeply; all of us are in tears," he said.
The family also accused security personnel of frequent harassment and extortion along the road.
"Regarding those roadblocks they set up on that road, we don't want them. The government should save us from them because they are doing too much," Kolade added.
"Sometimes officers like the Border Patrol collect N50,000 or N100,000 from people for minor issues. And if we report to their superiors, they won't listen," he alleged.
He called on Governor Dapo Abiodun and the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force to intervene and ensure accountability.
"Please, they should intervene now, because with what happened, those police officers ought to be dismissed, all of them," he said, urging the government not to let the death "be in vain."
"The government should help us with this matter; they shouldn't let this death be in vain. They should take action on it; they should work on it," he said.
PUNCH Metro had earlier reported that some youths set fire to two police station buildings in the community following the alleged killing.
A community leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Oniyiku, a Lagos-based resident, had returned to the community with friends to celebrate the Oro festival when he was allegedly shot near Akinde Junction, on the Ifonyintedo axis, at what he described as a makeshift checkpoint that had allegedly become notorious for harassment of motorists and commercial motorcyclists, sparking outrage from residents a day earlier.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, did not respond when contacted by PUNCH regarding the incident.
However, in a response to Daily Post, Oluseyi confirmed that the officers involved had been detained.
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