A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Iyanda Damilola, has been reportedly shot dead by a trigger-happy police officer nicknamed “Saheed SARS” in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
Reports indicate that Saheed, the trigger-happy police officer at the center of the controversy, is an operative of the infamous Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Oyo State Police Command.
Saheed’s notoriety among the student community of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, is no secret. He has reportedly gained a reputation for brutally assaulting “Yahoo Boys,” slang for young men who engage in internet fraud.
The tragic story took another devastating turn when Iyanda Oluwafemi, the deceased’s brother and a recent graduate of LAUTECH, revealed that he too was injured in the same incident that claimed his sister’s life.
Iyanda shared his harrowing account, stating that Saheed, the trigger-happy SARS operative, was responsible for firing the shots that caused his injuries.
Speaking with reporters, Iyanda Oluwafemi, a recent Accounting and Management Sciences graduate of LAUTECH, revealed that the deceased corps member was his brother, Damilola, who had attended his graduation ceremony earlier that day. The siblings were celebrating Oluwafemi’s milestone together at an after-party when their joy was shattered by the tragic and needless violence of Saheed, a rogue SARS operative.
He said, “Yesterday was our convocation, and we were at a lounge (name withheld) for a convocation party around 2am when we heard that some people were fighting outside. When we discovered that the place was getting rowdy, we stepped out only to see policemen dispersing the crowd and shooting directly at the people.
“I sustained bullet wounds, but my brother, who came for my convocation, was shot in the head. He was confirmed dead at the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital and was taken to the mortuary this morning.
“As I speak with you, I am at the clinic for my treatment. The wounds are deep, and I can not but seek justice for my innocent brother.”
“I saw him handling the gun; he was shooting with one hand until he shot my brother,” he added.
In response to the tragic killing of a corps member by an alleged trigger-happy cop in Ogbomoso, the Oyo State chapter of the National Association of University Students (NAUS) Campus Monitoring Committee (CMC) announced a shutdown of academic activities at LAUTECH, Ogbomoso.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Comrade Michael Oladipupo, the Executive Chairman of the National Association of University Students (NAUS) Campus Monitoring Committee (CMC), vehemently denounced the “appalling and senseless murder” of the corps member.
Oladipupo also signalled that a call for action in the form of protest and mobilization was forthcoming, suggesting that students were ready to raise their voices against the injustice and to fight for change.
Oladipupo said “This tragic incident not only represents a gross violation of human rights but also underscores the urgent need for comprehensive reform within law enforcement agencies across Nigeria.
“In this extensive discourse, we aim to explore the harrowing details of the incident, examine its broader implications, and articulate our stance on seeking justice and driving systemic change.
“In this stance, no Classes must take place anywhere on Campus today. Further directive on Protest and Mobilisation will be released soonest. Till Justice is served, Aluta Continua.”
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