Police detain ASP over girls death in Ajegunle shooting

By Adebola Muili

The Lagos State Police Command has detained an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Omotayo Olajide, following a shooting incident in the Nosamu area of Ajegunle, which resulted in the death of a young girl, Omole Taiwo, and left another girl injured.

The incident occurred on Thursday, November 5, between 9.30 p.m. and 10 p.m., when the police officer reportedly discharged his firearm while responding to a violent clash between two rival groups in the area.

The Command disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday by its Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, adding that the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) had taken over the investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

According to the statement, preliminary findings showed that the officer had been deployed to the area following a distress call over a violent confrontation between two rival groups identified as Nosamu Boys and Alayabiagba Boys, reportedly over toll collection.

The groups were said to have been armed with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons during the confrontation, prompting police intervention to address the situation.

However, during the operation, ASP Olajide discharged his firearm, and the bullet struck two girls in the area. The victims were immediately rushed to Ajeromi General Hospital for medical attention.

One of the girls was subsequently transferred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, where she later died, while the other is receiving medical treatment and is said to be in stable condition.

Expressing sadness over the incident, the Police Command said the officer had been disarmed and detained, while the case had been transferred to the SCID for a thorough and impartial investigation.

It stated that the investigation would establish exactly what transpired during the police operation and determine the appropriate legal and disciplinary action.

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Tijani Fatai, also visited the bereaved family to express his condolences and assure them that the incident would not be swept under the carpet.

He assured the family that justice would be served and that no officer found culpable would be shielded from accountability.

The Commissioner reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to the protection of lives, promising that the investigation would be conducted with professionalism, transparency and accountability.

The police also appealed to members of the public who might have useful information concerning the incident to report to the nearest police station or the Command’s Public Relations Department to assist the investigation.

The Command reiterated its condolences to the bereaved family over the loss.