The Lagos State police command has detained an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Omotayo Olajide, after his firearm allegedly killed a young girl and injured another during a shooting in the Nosamu area of Ajegunle.

In a statement on Saturday, the command’s spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, said the incident occurred on Thursday between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., during a police operation to quell a violent clash between two rival groups.

She said the officer was deployed following a distress call over a clash between the Nosamu Boys and the Alayabiagba Boys over toll collection.

The groups were reportedly armed with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons.

Ms Adebisi said the officer discharged his firearm during the operation, hitting the two girls.

“One was later transferred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, where she gave up. The other child is receiving medical attention and is in stable condition,” she said.

The police said the command was deeply saddened by the loss of a young and innocent life and shared in the bereaved family’s grief.

Ms Adebisi said Mr Olajide had been disarmed and detained and the case transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a thorough and impartial investigation.

She added that the investigation would establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting and determine the appropriate legal and disciplinary action.