Jamiu Ayoade’s life allegedly snuffed out by DPO’s bullet

A Twenty-five-year-old fashion designer, Jamiu Ayoade, was allegedly shot dead by a trigger-happy Divisional Police Officer (DPO), CSP Muhammed Yakubu, of Ijeshatedo Police Division on Sunday evening. He also injured two persons.

The incident happened around 7:30p.m. at No, 49 Wosilat Daudu Street, Ijeshatedo. The deceased, Jamiu, had gone to celebrate at a friend’s birthday party.
The action of the ‘monstrous’ police officer has thrown the entire community into mourning. Eyewitnesses yesterday told The Guardian that the DPO and his men stormed the venue of the birthday party in two patrol vans around 6:30p.m. and left after observing what the young man was doing.

It was learnt that a few minutes later, the DPO and his men came back to the venue of the party. “Immediately they arrived the second time, one of the officers accompanying the DPO shot into the air sporadically,” an eyewitness said.

The DPO who was sitting in front of one of the patrol vans allegedly alighted and brought out his service pistol, went straight to where Ayoade was sitting close to his girlfriend and shot him on his head at close range.

When The Guardian visited the house where the birthday party took place yesterday, the floor of the house was still stained with the blood of the deceased that gushed out from his head where he was allegedly shot by the DPO. .

Some residents of the street gathered at the scene of the incident weeping and raining curses on the police officer over the gruesome murder of the deceased at his prime.

Elder brother of the birthday celebrant, Mr. Jelili Bakare, said they were surprised at the manner with which Ayoade was killed.He said: “My younger brother, Abubakar Animashaun, was celebrating his birthday with some of his friends in a low-key at our late father’s house, when the DPO and his men came around 6:30p.m. The DPO called a woman on the street called Mama Aliyat and they left. Surprisingly, the policemen came back again.

“Where I was sitting, I saw one of the policemen that followed the DPO shoot into the air believing that some of the youths at the party would run, but they stayed back. The DPO, out of anger, came down from his vehicle and went to where Ayoade was sitting in the passage of the house and shot him on the head at close range.”

Bakare further said: “After the shooting, the DPO called for reinforcement from other police division in the area and lied to them that the youths were armed with cutlasses and broken bottles. But when his colleagues arrived the scene, they left angrily when they could not see any violent traces.

“The most annoying part of it was that when we went to Itire-Ikate Local Council to lodge our complaint to the council secretary, the DPO also came and said the deceased had been on their wanted list.”

The deceased elder brother, Mr. Taofeek Ayoade, said his brother was an easygoing person, who had not visited police station in his life.He said: “What annoyed us most was the allegation of the DPO that my brother had been on their wanted listed. Wanted list for what purpose? We are calling on the Lagos State government and the Commissioner of Police to come to our aid.

“As I speak with you, my mother has been weeping profusely when the news of her son’s death was broken to her, but as a Muslim, we have buried him at Atan cemetery.”

The Lagos State police boss, Fatai Owoseni,Owoseni who later called The Guardian at around 7:00pm said the DPO insisted he did not kill anyone.“From the briefing I received, the DPO insisted he did not kill anyone. He said it was a rival cult clash.”