THE father of 14-year-old Kehinde Alade, who was shot and killed by a police officer in Ibadan on Monday, May 19, has demanded justice for his son.
He described the incident as a monumental abuse of power and a failure of Nigeria’s law enforcement system.
Kehinde, a secondary school student, was on his way to school, in his father’s car, when a stray bullet struck him while police and officials of the Oyo State Traffic Management Authority (OYTMA) were chasing his father along the Alakia-Adelubi/Airport Road, in Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The boy’s father, Odunayo Alade, who was driving the vehicle, said trouble began after he stopped briefly to pump his tyres at a nearby junction.
According to him, the police and OYTMA officials had attempted to stop his black Honda Accord, which drove against traffic, after he was done pumping his car.
He recounted the experience while speaking with newsmen in his house, according to a report by Vanguard Newspaper.
“When I came out of the house, I needed to pump the tyre at a junction close by,” he was quoted to have said.
“As the vulcaniser finished, I entered the car to move and, as I moved, I saw a car moving towards me. I did not know it belonged to the Oyo State Traffic Management Authority.
“As soon as I saw them, I moved, but they tried stopping me, and, in the process, they hit my car. I, thereafter, put the car in reverse to bypass them, but I did not know four vehicles were chasing me,” he added.
He said that one of the officials’ towing vehicles hit his car, but he managed to manoeuvre away from the scene until his attention was called to the gunshot injury suffered by his child, after one of the police officers chasing him shot his son from behind.
He stressed that the boy was subsequently rushed to the hospital and later referred to the University College Hospital (UCH), where he was pronounced dead.
“As I parked to bring the boy out, the policemen and officials of the Oyo State Traffic Management Authority were running after me. In the process, I held onto one of them. People gathered and rushed the boy to the hospital, and, from there, he was taken to UCH. Unfortunately, when we got there, he gave up the ghost,” Alade narrated.
The bereaved father dismissed being involved in any criminal activity and stated that he was unaware of the true intentions of the officials pursuing him.
He questioned whether the officials mistook him for a cybercrime suspect, stating that his only mission that morning was to drop his children off in their schools.
He said Kehinde was a bright and promising student.
He clarified that it was Kehinde’s elder brother who was sitting for the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), and not the late boy as widely reported.
The slain boy was in SSS1 and would have turned 14 on November 26.
Speaking further, Alade stated that he had been raising his children alone for seven years after being ‘abandoned’ by their mother.
He said “I have turned down opportunities to remarry because I wanted to focus on raising my kids. I often wonder which woman would accept me and my situation without jeopardising their well-being.”
He further demanded justice for his son, noting that “This cannot go unpunished. I want those responsible to be held accountable. No parent should have to endure the pain of losing a child in such a senseless manner.”
Police confirm detention of officer, blame father
Recall that hours after the incident, the Oyo State Police Command confirmed that the officer who shot the boy had been taken into custody.
The police, however, blamed the boy’s father for driving against traffic.
In a statement, the police alleged that Alade accelerated dangerously, hit two OYTMA vehicles and a police patrol truck, and broke through barricades, prompting suspicions of abduction or criminal activity.
“Given the nature of the driver’s conduct, officers suspected possible criminal activity or a case of abduction. A police chase ensued. In an attempt to immobilise the vehicle, a police corporal discharged a firearm aimed at the tyres.
“Tragically, the bullet missed and struck Kehinde Alade ‘m’, who was seated in the rear seat behind the driver,” the police said.
The ICIR reports that the boy’s killing came barely 24 hours after the Lagos State Police Command arrested one of its officers, Obic Modestus, an inspector, for assaulting an Uber driver in a case that drew widespread condemnation after a video of the attack went viral.
The Lagos Command confirmed that Modestus had been summoned by its Complaint Response Unit and would face disciplinary action through the Provost Department.
Despite the claims of reform in the Nigeria Police Force, the incident added to a series of reported cases of police misconduct in the country.
Similarly, in spite of the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in 2020 following the #EndSARS protests, reports of police brutality have persisted.
The latest incident came barely two weeks after The ICIR published a detailed investigation of police brutality in Kwara State.
The report highlighted how the killings of Qoyum Ishola, allegedly by police officers in the state, added to a disturbing trend of young men in Kwara, particularly those perceived as successful or ‘flashy,’ are increasingly targeted by law enforcement officers.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M