Metro
Police Deny Involvement in Deadly Oyo Market Shooting, Blame Sister Agency
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No police personnel was involved in the deadly shootings following the fire incident that razed Akesan Market of Oyo Town on Sunday morning, a spokesperson for the police said.
The police blamed a ‘sister security agency’ for the shootings instead
The police also said only one person was killed contrary to the claim by witnesses that three people were killed.
The fire, which started in the early hours of Sunday, destroyed most of Akesan Market, leaving only a few shops and a filling station, witnesses, including two traders who suffered losses, said.
Videos shared on social media by residents show extreme destruction of the ancient market, a walk from the lalace of the Alaafin.
Many indigenes in Oyo, a town of four local government areas and five higher learning institutions, have connections with Akesan Market directly or through family members trading there.
There was no early response as the firefighters stationed just opposite the market failed to stop the fire due to non-functioning equipment. However, at about 6 a.m., a response came from Ogbomoso, 50 kilometres away, with firefighters based in that neighbouring town mobilised to stop the Akesan-Oyo fire.
But residents said the fire had already caused massive damage before the efforts of the external firefighters. Many then went wild, sacking the local fire service station near Akesan by starting a fire just outside the gate.
Hoodlums tried to exploit the situation and loot goods, and the police spokesperson for Oyo State, Olugbenga Fadeyi, said the police mobilised to prevent crimes. Residents corroborated this.
Mr Fadeyi said the police did not kill anybody; rather, a ‘sister agency’ – Operation Burst – fired shots resulting in the death of one person and which injured two more. The police are not part of the Operation Burst, which is an Ajimobi-era special security measure, comprising army and civil defence, and usually accused of extra-judicial approaches.
“There was no single shot fired by the police personnel deployed proactively and professionally to provide security at the scene of the fire incident at Akesan market in Oyo town,” he said. “Instead, the police personnel under the able supervision of DPO Durbar and Area Commander, Oyo Area Command prevented hoodlums and mob from attacking the Oyo State Government Fire Station in the town as well as the Durbar Police Station, Oyo from being set ablaze.”
He added that “More importantly, adequate security measures were provided at the market to deter hoodlums massed at the scene of the fire incident in the early hours of the day (at about 2:30 AM) from capitalizing on the situation to loot shops and properties at the scene.
“But, at about 0700 hrs, a report was received at the Durbar Police Station by the DPO that a sister security agency has arrived at the scene of the incident to assist in the provision of security. Unfortunately, gunshots rang out from their direction skywards.
“But, unfortunately, one Warred Aderoju Akano ‘m’ aged 14 yrs was allegedly hit and died while three others namely, (i) Jimoh Idris ‘m’ age 14 yrs, (ii) Sulu Qudinai ‘m’ 20 yrs, and Wasiu Taiwo ‘m’ age 21 yrs also sustained gunshot injuries and are currently recuperating in a hospital in Oyo town.”
Premium Times
Controversial cleric, founder and leader of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has said that President Bola Tinubu is sick and will not be able to complete a second term if he wins the 2027 presidential election.
“If Tinubu wins the second time, he will not finish it. I stand by my word, he will not finish it. What happened to Yar’Adua or whatever that will make him not to finish it that will lead to emergency government, make Shettima take over from him might happen,” Mr Ayodele said. “Tinubu will not finish his second term, thus says the Lord of hosts.”
Mr Ayodele claimed he was denied access to Tinubu by those Mr Tinubu surrounded himself with, those who do not want him to hear the truth.
“People surrounding Tinubu don’t want him to hear the truth. They don’t want him to hear people like us. I don’t say prophets should not go again. Let them bring one billion alfas. It is a matter of time. You will all see it. If Tinubu wins a second term, he will not finish it. It is not a curse,” the INRI spiritual leader declared.
The cleric called on the president’s family to rally prayers and not let Mr Tinubu die.
“You are not seeing what I am seeing. Tinubu is not OK. He needs prayers. Wife, children of Tinubu, wake up. Seyi! Help Tinubu. Don’t let your father die,” Mr Ayodele said.
A 30-year-old man identified as Emmanuel Okpara has been arrested in Enugu over the alleged murder of his girlfriend, Chinyere.
The suspect, of Olympic Layout, One-Day, Enugu, allegedly beat his girlfriend to death over argument of who between them infected the other with HIV.
Okpara had allegedly after the murder hidden the remains of the lady in his toilet.
However, his neighbours forced the door to his apartment open and discovered the remains and subsequently alerted the police.
The spokesperson for Enugu Command, SP Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday.
Ndukwe explained that Chinyere’s surname, age and address had yet to be established.
He stated that the suspect was rescued from an angry mob and detained by police operatives attached to Awkunanaw Division at about 6:30pm on September 21.
He added that “the rescue followed information reaching the police that Okpara had allegedly murdered his girlfriend.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the suspect allegedly killed the victim on September 19, wrapped her remains in a nylon and locked them inside the toilet of his apartment.
“The offensive odour of the decomposing body subsequently attracted neighbours, who forced the door open and apprehended him before the arrival of the police.
“The remains were evacuated to a mortuary for preservation and autopsy, while efforts are ongoing to trace and notify her relatives,” the statement added.
It further stated that during preliminary interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime.
Ndukwe explained that the suspect confessed that the incident followed an argument between him and the deceased over allegations of who infected the other with HIV.
He further stated that during the argument, Okpara hit the deceased on the head with a pestle, resulting in her death.
He was alleged to have subsequently wrapped and dumped her remains inside his toilet.
According to Ndukwe, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Giwa, has ordered the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to conduct a discreet and thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The commissioner directed the SCID to ensure that the suspect was arraigned upon the conclusion of investigations.
He cautioned the public, particularly unsuspecting young women, to inform trusted relatives or friends about their whereabouts and exercise caution about whom they visit or spend time with.
NAN
Civil servants under the aegis of Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, (JNPSNC) trade union side, have written to President Bola Tinubu, seeking an immediate intervention to tackle the worsening economic hardship facing workers.
In a letter addressed to the President, the workers urged the Federal Government to stabilise the price of petrol at N500 per litre, approve an immediate Wage Award and upwardly review salaries and allowances across the public service.
The workers equally demanded the immediate constitution of a committee to negotiate a new National Minimum Wage ahead of January 2027.
According to the workers, the recent increase in fuel prices to N1,430 per litre and above in some locations had further worsened the cost-of-living crisis.
They gave the Federal government until Wednesday, September 30, 2026, to take action on their demands, warning that the prevailing hardship was creating palpable tension among workers and Nigerians.
The workers added that the removal of fuel subsidy three years ago had triggered an astronomical increase in fuel prices and produced multiplier effects on the prices of essential commodities across the economy.
According to the JNPSNC, the situation had made life increasingly unbearable for workers, adding that the provision of food palliatives was not a sustainable solution to the economic crisis.
“It has dawned on Nigerian workers that the provision of palliatives such as bags of rice, Indomie, vegetable oil, garri, among other edible foods, is as good as weaponising Nigerians with poverty because it is a Pyrrhic intervention which is unsustainable, inaccessible to the majority of Nigeria’s population and also limited to political cronies,” the workers said.
They further stressed that a more sustainable intervention would be to reduce the cost of fuel to N500 per litre, stating that the measure would have a multiplier effect across the economy.
