The police have arrested two officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over the death of a driver in Osogbo.
The incident reportedly occurred on Sunday in the Dada Estate area of the Osun state capital, during a chase of some imported vehicles.
In a statement, Abiodun Ojelabi, spokesperson of the Osun police command, said the suspects — identified as Kolawole Suuti and Danjuma Samuel — have been arrested and are currently in police custody.
Ojelabi said the operatives were pursuing suspected ‘Tokunbo’ vehicles when the incident occurred.
‘Tokunbo’ in this context is Nigerian parlance for used cars meant for sale.
“Following the report, police operatives swiftly responded and apprehended the two officers,” the statement reads.
“Meanwhile, the driver of the said ash-coloured Toyota Corolla, one of the vehicles being chased by the Customs, was shot and confirmed dead by a medical doctor at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital.”
The police spokesperson added that the corpse of the yet-to-be-identified victim has been deposited in a morgue.
He said items recovered from the scene include a Beretta pistol with breech number 125024, 11 rounds of 9mm live ammunition, an expanded 9mm shell, and two vehicles — a white Toyota Corolla with Lagos registration number AAA 400 GQ and an ash-coloured Toyota Corolla with registration number GFQ 0982.
Ojelabi said Ibrahim Gotan, commissioner of police in the state, has ordered a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“The suspects are currently in police custody. The Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, CP Ibrahim Gotan, has ordered a thorough investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident,” he added.
The police assured the public that anyone found culpable would face the full wrath of the law and urged residents to provide credible information that could aid investigation.
