Stray bullet kills WAEC candidate in Ibadan as Police chase turns fatal

Tragedy struck in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Tuesday when a student on his way to sit for his West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) was killed by a stray bullet allegedly fired by a police officer during a traffic enforcement operation.

The incident occurred along Gbagi Market Road in Egbeda Local Government Area when officers reportedly opened fire while attempting to apprehend a vehicle violating traffic rules. Eyewitnesses said the student, travelling with his father and twin brother in a black Honda Accord, was struck by the bullet and later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

A witness, Ajani, narrated, “A police officer opened fire while chasing a vehicle. A bullet hit the student in his father’s car, who was taking him to the exam centre.”

In the aftermath, aggrieved youths carried the boy’s remains to the Oyo State Secretariat, Agodi, demanding justice and intervention from Governor Seyi Makinde.

Reacting swiftly, the state government expressed shock and sadness over the incident. In a statement by the governor’s media aide, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, the government promised to investigate the matter thoroughly in collaboration with the police command.

While initial reports suggested the police were pursuing suspected fraudsters, the government clarified that the operation was a routine traffic control effort jointly undertaken by Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) officials and police officers.

The government explained that the boy’s father was driving against traffic when officers attempted to stop the car. In the process, a police officer, now under investigation, fired at one of the tyres but missed, fatally striking the student instead.

Authorities appealed for calm, assuring the public that justice would be served and promising new measures to prevent such tragedies.