James Sowole
2 December 2008
Akure — The hilly town of Idanre in Ondo State was at the weekend thrown into confusion following the death of five persons, who were allegedly shot by mobile policemen in the town in what was described as self defence strategy.
The incident, according to investigation, occurred when policemen in the town opened fire on a crowd protesting the death of a woman, who died in an accident alleged to have been caused by some mobile policemen at a checkpoint in the town.
As at the time of filling this report normalcy had returned to the town after self-imposed curfew on Saturday and Sunday as youths threatened to continue with the protest which leaders of the town felt may lead to further bloodshed.
A resident of the town, Mr Ranti Adewunmi, who narrated how the tragic incident happened, alleged on telephone yesterday that some mobile policemen at a check point in Yaba Area of the town stopped a truck driver but the driver refused to stop.
Adewunmi alleged that one of the policemen then shot at the vehicle which later lost control and knocked down a commercial motorcycle killing a female passenger in the process.
In protest against the death of the woman, some commercial motorcyclists and other residents carried the corpse to the police station in the town.
He stated that the policemen at the station who sensed that they could be overpowered by the rampaging crowd opened fire on the crowd and killed five protesters.
However, a medical doctor resident in the town said that two persons were killed while one of the protesters was hit by a bullet adding that the injured person is still on danger list at a hospital where he was rushed for treatment.
But the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Adeniran Aremu, has denied the claim. The police image maker said that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the town had briefed the command that there was an accident where a vehicle ran into a commercial motorcyclist and his passenger.
Adeniran, who confirmed that though the passenger died, exonerated the police.
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