Police deny shooting Ibadan poly graduate, cite forensic clearance

The Oyo State Police Command has refuted claims that two of their officers, Inspector Gbenga Ayodele and Sergeant Ayilaran Boluwaji, shot Nurudeen Azeez, a graduate of Ibadan Polytechnic, during a 2021 armed robbery response in Ibadan. Forensic evidence has cleared the two police officers of any involvement in the incident. This denial is based on an investigation that concluded in 2021, following the recent re-emergence of the case in a viral video and newspaper publication.

The incident reportedly occurred around 9pm on August 16, 2021, when the two officers were patrolling near the Koltol Hotel in Ibadan in response to a report of armed robbery. Ayodele and Boluwaji arrived at the scene after hearing gunshots, having been alerted by a civilian who had witnessed the incident. A locally made pistol was recovered during a forensic sweep of the area.

Eyewitnesses stated that Azeez, who was shot in the leg, was subsequently taken to a hospital where he underwent surgery to remove the pellets and was unable to provide a statement at the time. The police investigation corroborated these accounts, noting that Azeez's elder brother confirmed witnessing the extraction of the projectiles.

Records from the officers' duty and firearm assignments were also obtained. Forensic examination of both officers' firearms found no evidence of firing during the incident, with pellets found in Azeez's body not matching those from the police-issue AK-47 rifles. The locally made pistol recovered showed signs of recent use, but this alone could not determine who fired the weapon.

Based on the totality of the evidence, the police concluded that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegation that either of the two officers had shot Nurudeen Azeez.