Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Oyo State Police Command has firmly denied allegations that two of its officers shot a graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Nurudeen Azeez, during an armed robbery response in 2021, citing forensic evidence that cleared the officers of any involvement in the shooting. The command, in a statement issued on Saturday, August 8, 2026, by its Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, restated the findings of an investigation concluded in 2021 following the recent resurfacing of the case in a viral video and newspaper publication.
The incident occurred at about 9:00 p.m. on August 16, 2021, when Inspector Gbenga Ayodele and Sergeant Ayilaran Boluwaji, both attached to the Agodi Divisional Police Headquarters, were on night-duty pin-down around Koltol Hotel, Ikolaba, Ibadan. A motorist had approached them to report that he was being pursued by armed robbers, after which gunshots were heard from the direction of Bino Hotel, prompting the officers to head towards the scene. The police said reinforcement was sent to the scene, and in the course of a forensic sweep of the scene, a locally fabricated pistol was recovered.
Eyewitnesses at the scene said a motorcycle passenger had been shot and rushed to Molly Specialist Hospital, Idi-Ape, by members of the public. Azeez was later taken to Kehinde Ege Traditional Hospital, Asanke, Idi-Aro, Ibadan, where pellets were extracted from his body, and investigators could not obtain his statement at the time as he was undergoing intensive care. The command said Azeez's elder brother, Nurudeen Musa, told investigators he witnessed the extraction of the projectiles. "Fifteen pellets were removed. Thirteen were documented, while six were registered as exhibits," the police said.
The two officers' duty and firearm records were obtained during the investigation. The records confirmed that they had signed out two AK-47 rifles for their assignment that night. Both rifles were subjected to forensic examination. The police said the forensic examination established that neither AK-47 rifle had been fired in connection with the incident. In addition, the pellets extracted from the victim were not consistent with AK-47 ammunition. The recovered locally made pistol was also examined. Unlike the two police-issued rifles, the pistol showed characteristics consistent with recent discharge. However, this finding alone could not establish who fired the weapon. Based on the totality of the evidence, the investigation concluded that the allegation that either of the two police officers shot Nurudeen Azeez was not substantiated. The police added that while the victim sustained a genuine gunshot injury, the evidence available did not establish the identity of the person responsible for the shooting.
The case regained public attention after an interview earlier in August 2026 in which Azeez recounted how the shooting left him paralysed and appealed for support to regain the use of his legs. He had maintained that a police officer shot him and ordered him to stand up before leaving the scene. The police, however, have stood by their forensic findings, insisting that their officers were not responsible for the shooting. The command has urged the public to desist from spreading unverified information, assuring that it remains committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice for all.
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