Ikirun mayhem: How Police killed my sons over N20 – Bereaved father

FOR the family of Adesina of Oke-Afo, Ikirun, in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State, this is certainly not the best of times as the family is mourning the loss of two of its sons on the first day of the new year.

When Vanguard visited the home of Alhaji Saka Adesina, father of the deceased, the death of the two sons was the major discussion among the friends and family members. Adesina who was yet to come to terms with how a policeman could shoot his two sons to death over N20 expressed worry on the unfortunate incidence.

The business man who is the chief executive officer of Adesina Nigeria Enterprises said he sent the deceased on an errand before the police officer cut short their lives. He said: “The two boys were faithful, obedient and promising children who loved me and their mothers. I could not just believe that they would leave us so soon. They died at a time we least expected courtesy of police brutality and wickedness. It’s unfortunate that their death made me a popular person because of the circumstances that surrounded it.”

Adesina who was almost moved to tears while fielding questions from our correspondent noted: “It’s a sad thing for a parent to witness the death of his children, more so two children at once. What was my offence against God. I never knew that these boys would not live long, I never knew that they would not live to bury me.”

He, however, denied his involvement in the reprisal attack that led to the death of the killer policeman, stressing: “I knew nothing about the pandemonium that followed the killing of my children. I even went out to caution those irate mobs despite my condition. I did not know any of them; none of them is my family member or friend. They did what they did probably out of emotion considering the level of that police brutality. I made every effort to control them, even the Akinrun of Ikirun joined in cautioning them.”

Injury of officers
The DPO in charge of Ikirun division of the Nigeria Police, Mr. Abiodun Alabi, who is currently on hospital bed at the state Hospital Asubiaro, Osogbo, decried what he called barbaric acts by the youths, saying that some police officers in the town were injured during the crisis.

He said dangerous weapons including guns and charms were used by the irate mob against the police officers and members of their families, adding that he narrowly escaped from the hands of the mob when they descended upon him at his official quarters.

While noting that computer sets, video, television and mobile phones were burnt to ashes, Alabi said: “I am currently responding to treatment. All I can say for now is that I was briefed fully by an officer. The Police officer did not intentionally shoot the boys, it was an accidental discharge, but the thugs at Oke-Afo area of the town where the incident happened took laws into their hands and turned the whole situation into chaos.

“Pandemonium later enveloped the town as they began to burn tyres on major streets of the town. They also went to the two police posts in the town and burnt them down. It was also sad to note that homes of police officers were attacked by the mob. We had thought that we were living with our friends before that day. Only one police officer made a mistake, and many of us, including our family members were made to suffer for the mistake of one person.”

The Akinrun of Ikirun, Oba Rauf Olayiwola Adedeji while expressing displeasure on the ugly incident described the situation as unfortunate.

The monarch stated that the town was a peaceful one but stressed that the police act of brutality led to the unfortunate pandemonium.

The question on the lips of many, however, is: With the gruesome killing of the two Adesina brothers and the subsequent killing of the police officer that killed the promising young brothers, will the people of Ikirun community and the police ever live peacefully again?

Source: Vanguard Nigeria - http://www.vanguardngr.com