The Osun State Police Command has arrested five suspects in connection with the maiming of a 14-year-old boy, Olapade Ezekiel, during a shooting incident in Ilobu, Osun State.
The command disclosed this in a statement issued by its spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, today October 16.
According to the police, the incident occurred on June 21 at about 3.30pm at a palm-wine shop along Council Road, beside the Irepodun Local Government Area headquarters in Ilobu.
Ojelabi said the father of the deceased teenager, Olugbenga Olapade, reported the incident at the Ilobu Police Division at about 5pm on the same day. He mentioned that Ezekiel was at the shop with his parent and some customers when a group of people allegedly arrived in a Sienna bus and began shooting sporadically.
The police said Ezekiel sustained a gunshot injury and passed away, while another person, identified as Matthew John, popularly known as Mofoto, also sustained a gunshot injury.
Ojelabi said following a detailed investigation, five suspects including Saheed Kareem, 32, also known as Tanfiani; Ismail Yekeen, 24, aka Asumo Ayan; Abass Afeez, 32, aka SS Abass; Salako Taofeek, 30, aka Fenuso; and Barrister Abdulrauf Ogunshola.
According to the statement, the suspects confessed to participating in the crime, while further investigations allegedly identified Taofeek as the person who fired the shot that fatally injured the teenager.
The police said Taofeek also identified a man known as Alaagba, who is currently at large, as the alleged armourer and custodian of the gun used in the operation.
The command said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspect for possible prosecution.
