Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A young man was reportedly shot by police officers near Oyun Bridge in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Wednesday afternoon following an alleged altercation between the officers and a group of young men believed to be students of Kwara State Polytechnic. The incident, which occurred along the Oyun Bridge-Fate Roundabout axis, has generated conflicting accounts, with the Kwara State Police Command denying that anyone was shot while residents and witnesses insist that a man was injured by gunfire during a confrontation over alleged extortion.
According to a resident who spoke with SaharaReporters, the incident began as an altercation between police officers who regularly patrol the area and some young men. "It started like a random altercation between some policemen that always patrol between Oyun Bridge and Fate Roundabout and some young guys who appeared to be students of Kwara Poly," the resident said. The resident alleged that the police officers were attempting to extort the young men when things escalated and a shot was fired. "So I heard that the police, in their usual ways, were trying to extort these young guys and things escalated and he was shot," the resident added. A video obtained by SaharaReporters showed an unconscious young man being carried by police officers and placed inside a police van shortly after the incident. In the footage, an eyewitness could be heard screaming, "They have shot this innocent man. The unfortunate police officers have shot him dead." The officers subsequently drove away from the scene, with witnesses indicating that the young man was being taken for medical attention. SaharaReporters could not independently confirm the identity of the victim or establish his condition as of the time of filing its report.
The Kwara State Police Command, however, issued a statement on Wednesday denying that any shooting occurred. The command's Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the incident occurred during a routine patrol and stop-and-search operation by police personnel on the highway leading to Kwara State Polytechnic. According to the police, a 23-year-old motorcyclist, Abdurasaq Lukman, was riding at high speed when he allegedly knocked down Corporal Saka Azeez, one of the officers conducting the operation. "The impact left the Corporal with serious head injuries and a fracture, while Abdurasaq Lukman also sustained minor injuries," the statement read. The command said officers at the scene immediately took both men to a medical facility for treatment, adding that Lukman was treated and discharged but remained in police custody to assist with the investigation. Corporal Azeez remains under medical care and requires further medical examination and scans to ascertain the full extent of the head injury sustained.
The conflicting accounts have placed the incident at the centre of a long-running dispute over the conduct of police officers operating along the Oyun Bridge-Fate Roundabout corridor. Residents have repeatedly raised concerns about the alleged harassment of young people by security operatives in the area. The resident who spoke to SaharaReporters said police officers routinely stop young people and accuse them of internet fraud as a pretext for extortion. "Everyone knows that the police always harass these students and other young people and illegally tag them as fraudsters," the resident said. "The police always use that to extort these students. Many of them always run away from the police. There is no time you will pass through this community that you will not witness any form of harassment from these police officers."
The incident has drawn attention to the broader issue of police-community relations in Kwara State, where allegations of extortion and harassment have been a recurring source of tension. An analysis by Atlantic Post noted that the shooting, if confirmed, would reopen a question Kwara has been asking for years: what happens when repeated warnings about extortion, harassment and abuse of authority fail to prevent another confrontation between armed officers and young Nigerians. The Kwara State Police Command has urged members of the public to verify information before sharing it on social media. The Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, said the command recognised citizens' concerns about police activities but appealed for responsible dissemination of information to prevent unnecessary anxiety and misunderstanding.
The command said the circumstances surrounding the incident were being investigated. SaharaReporters contacted the Kwara State Police Command spokesman for comment on the shooting and the circumstances surrounding the incident but had not received a response as of the time of filing its report. The identity of the victim and his medical condition had not been independently established as of Wednesday evening, and the police and witnesses continued to offer sharply divergent accounts of what happened near Oyun Bridge. The case remains under investigation, and the police have yet to announce any arrests or disciplinary action in connection with the incident.
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