The Oyo State House of Assembly has taken a strong stance on Tuesday’s alleged killing of a secondary school student by a stray police bullet in Ibadan.
The lawmakers described the incident as “painful and unwarranted”, resolving to take steps to ensure justice was served.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the incident was mentioned by the deputy leader of the house, Olasunkanmi Babalola (PDP-Egbeda), under a matter of urgent public importance.
According to Babalola, the incident occurred when a police officer pursuing a suspect along Gbagi Market Road in Ibadan discharged live ammunition in a public space.
This, he said, resulted in the death of the student who was on his way to a West African Examination Council (WAEC) examination centre.
Stating the lawmakers’ resolutions, the speaker, Adebo Ogundoyin, expressed deep sorrow over the incident, commiserating with the deceased’s family and the entire Ibadan community.
Ogundoyin called on the Oyo State commissioner of police (CP) to commence an immediate and thorough investigation into the incident to ensure the officer responsible was identified and prosecuted accordingly.
The speaker urged the executive arm of government to also provide psychological support and financial compensation to the bereaved family.
He claimed that the support was necessary to help the family cope with the loss of their loved one and to ensure that they received the necessary assistance during this difficult time.
He also urged the ministry of information and orientation to embark on a state-wide awareness campaign on citizens’ rights and police conduct.
Ogundoyin appealed to the inspector general of police to issue clear directives prohibiting the reckless use of firearms in public places.
The I-G was also called upon to ensure officers undergo regular training in responsible crowd and suspect management.
Thereafter, an eight-man committee, to be led by the deputy speaker, Abiodun Fadeyi, was constituted to visit the Oyo State CP on Thursday and thereafter report to the house.
The committee would also work to ensure that the incident was thoroughly investigated and that those responsible were held accountable.