A tragic incident unfolded Tuesday morning in Ibadan when a West African Examinations Council (WAEC) candidate was fatally struck by a stray bullet allegedly fired by a police officer during a high-speed chase.
The unfortunate event occurred along Gbagi Market Road as police officers pursued a vehicle suspected to be driven by internet fraudsters, commonly referred to as “Yahoo Boys.” In the course of the pursuit, a stray bullet missed its intended target and struck the student, who was on a motorcycle with his twin brother, en route to sit for his WAEC exam.
Eyewitnesses reported that the injured boy was rushed to Welfare Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
The incident sparked outrage within the community. Market traders and sympathisers staged a protest, conveying the student’s remains to the Oyo State Government Secretariat. The protesters demanded justice and urgent reform of police engagement protocols to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
At the time of filing this report, a contingent of security personnel had been deployed to the secretariat to maintain order, while authorities worked to calm the aggrieved crowd.
The Oyo State Police Command and the state government have yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.
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