Protests broke out on Friday in Osogbo after police shot and killed a 27-year-old man in the Osun state capital the Sunday before at around 12:30 a.m.

Abiola Afolabi, who was shot in the leg at his friend’s house on Sunday, would later die in police custody, leading to demonstrators taking to the streets in Osogbo.

During a press conference on Friday, civil society groups in Osun expressed displeasure over the ongoing extrajudicial killings by the police in the state.

Narrating the incidence, convener of the press conference, Olusegun Idowu, said the victim was shot by police officers from Housing Police Station, Ring Road, Osogbo “while he was eating indomie with his friend Matthew (who is currently being detained) and his girlfriend (who was also arrested but has since been released).”

He claimed that the police are planning to accuse the victim of ‘armed robbery’ so they can justify the extrajudicial shootings, adding that is “Mr Abiola still alive? If yes, where is he? And if not, where is the body?”

The group demands that the detained friend Mr Matthew be allowed to see a legal representative, and the reason for his arrest “should be made known to him.”

The group condemned the “brazen disregard for the rule of law and the provisions of the police act in illegally detaining suspects and denying them their right to a lawyer as constitutionally provided.”

However, the Osun police command said that on March 29, officers responded to a call from “a woman around Dada Estate Area of the State, Zone Nine, behind Capital Hotel, Osogbo about the activities of some suspected criminals who had jumped into her compound and invaded the premises.”

The Osun police spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, in a statement on Friday said, the robbers escaped and carted away one laptop, five phones, cash and other valuable items.  

“The police chased them but they escaped. They carted away 1 laptop, 5 phones, N300,000 and other valuable items. Consequent upon this, the Commissioner of Police increased surveillance and patrol around the area,” she said.

According to her, five days later, they received information that armed suspected criminals and hoodlums were holding nocturnal meetings behind a house around the same area in preparation to perpetrate further criminal activities in the vicinity.

Osun police said that the police quickly stormed the area but the suspected criminals opened fire on the police which the officers responded accordingly.

The police spokesperson said one of the suspected criminals was injured, and that two suspects were arrested, including a lady.

She said some suspects escaped through the bush while she listed the items recovered from the robbers “one cut to size single barrel gun, one live and one expended cartridges, Army Camouflage T-shirt, Nigerian Army ID card, charms etc.”

She said the injured suspect was taken to a hospital for treatment but later died.

The Osun police said the arrested suspects are still under investigation and efforts are being made to arrest other suspects.

The police warned those planning to protest the extrajudicial killings to desist, and also cautioned individuals and groups to desist from sponsoring any protest.