A stray bullet fired by a police officer has tragically claimed the life of a student on his way to sit for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams in Ibadan, Oyo State.
According to eyewitnesses, the officer was in pursuit of a fleeing vehicle along the busy Gbagi Market Road when he opened fire in an attempt to stop the suspect. One of the bullets reportedly missed its target and struck a schoolboy who was riding on a motorcycle with his father and twin brother.
The victim was rushed to Welfare Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. Witnesses confirmed that the student and his twin were en route to their examination centre when the incident occurred.
Outraged by the incident, sympathizers and traders at the market staged a protest, carrying the boy’s body to the Oyo State Secretariat. There, demonstrators demanded justice and called for an audience with Governor Seyi Makinde.
A video circulating online shows security operatives attempting to control the crowd, as protesters call for transparency, accountability, and urgent reform in police engagement practices, especially in populated public areas.
As of the time of this report, neither the Oyo State Police Command nor the state government had issued an official statement regarding the incident.
