Forensics cleared officers of Ibadan Poly graduate shooting – Police

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Nurudeen Azeez before (right) and after (left) the incident.

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Oyo State Police Command has said that forensic evidence cleared its officers, Inspector Gbenga Ayodele and Sergeant Ayilaran Boluwaji, in the 2021 shooting of Nurudeen Azeez, an Ibadan Polytechnic graduate.

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Both officers, attached to the Agodi Divisional Police Headquarters, had responded to a robbery alert.

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In a statement on Saturday by the Command’s spokesman, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, the Police stressed that an investigation concluded in 2021 exonerated the officers.

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“Following its recent resurfacing in a viral video and newspaper publication, the Command considers it necessary to restate the findings of the investigation,” the statement noted.

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The victim

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The graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Azeez, aged 30, told newsmen recently that he is still battling the devastating effects of being shot five years after the incident.

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Azeez, a native of Ibadan, said on August 16, 2021, he was hit by a bullet while riding on a commercial motorcycle from Iwo Road to his hostel in the Ijokodo area of the city.

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He said there was traffic around Idi-Ape, which made the okadaman to take an alternative route.

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“As soon as the motorcycle moved, I suddenly heard gunshots. A bullet struck my spinal cord, and I immediately collapsed on the motorcycle.

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“A police officer came to where I had fallen and asked me to stand up. But I could not move. In the confusion, some passers-by who heard the gunshots rushed to the scene, and the officers fled,” he said.

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Azeez said he was assured of assistance with his medical treatment, but that the support gradually diminished.

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Police deny shooting

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The Police statement denying involvement of its officers noted that “In the course of forensic sweep of the scene, a locally fabricated pistol was recovered.”
It added that during treatment, “15 pellets were removed. 13 were documented, while six were registered as exhibits.”

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The two officers’ duty and firearm records were obtained during the investigation.

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The statement read, “The records confirmed that they had signed out two AK-47 rifles for their assignment that night.

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“The forensic examination established that neither AK-47 rifle had been fired in connection with the incident.

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“In addition, the pellets extracted from the victim were not consistent with AK-47 ammunition.

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“Unlike the two police-issued rifles, the pistol showed characteristics consistent with recent discharge. However, this finding alone could not establish who fired the weapon.

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“Based on the totality of the evidence, the investigation concluded that the allegation that either of the two police officers shot Nurudeen Azeez was not substantiated.

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“While the victim sustained a genuine gunshot injury, the evidence available did not establish the identity of the person responsible for the shooting.”

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