Odunayo Alade, father of the WASSCE candidate killed by a stray bullet in Ibadan, has explained why he failed to stop when flagged down by security operatives, saying he was trying to ensure his son got to his examination centre early.
It had earlier reported that the deceased, Kehinde Alade, was fatally shot on Tuesday at Gbagi Market Road, Ibadan, in the Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State, allegedly by a police officer pursuing the family vehicle.
Speaking to News Central at his residence in Ibadan on Wednesday, Alade denied breaching traffic regulations and insisted he took a commonly used shortcut to avoid delays.
“I was taking the children to school that morning, and the road I followed is one that everyone in the neighbourhood uses,” Alade said. “It’s not a one-way in the real sense; it’s just a short bypass to the main junction.”
According to him, officials of the Oyo State Traffic Management Authority (OYTMA) attempted to stop his vehicle, accusing him of taking a one-way route, but he insisted he was only trying to beat time.
“To my surprise, I saw OYTMA. They came and blocked me, even hit my vehicle, and I had to reverse to bypass them,” he explained. “While doing so, a towing vehicle also hit me, so I had to maneuver my way out.”
Alade stressed that his only concern was ensuring his son didn’t miss his WAEC paper scheduled for 8:30 am.
“You know how things work in this country. If they had held us there, the boy would have missed his paper,” he said. “That was why I didn’t stop.”
He said he only realised something was wrong when his son began shouting in pain after they had left the scene.
“I heard a gunshot, but I didn’t stop because I thought we had escaped. Then Kehinde started screaming, and his twin brother said he had been shot. That was when I pulled over and saw that he was bleeding,” Alade recounted tearfully.
The father said he flagged down the security officials and confronted one of them before rushing the injured boy to a nearby hospital with the help of another parent at the scene.
Kehinde was initially taken to Welfare Hospital in Alakia, where he was placed on oxygen before being referred to the University College Hospital, Ibadan. Unfortunately, he died before arriving at the facility.
The remains of the student have been deposited at the Adeoyo State Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
In a statement on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, Adewale Osifeso, confirmed that the officer who fired the shot has been taken into custody along with other members of the patrol team.
According to the statement, the state Commissioner of Police, Adebola Adenola, has ordered a full-scale investigation to be led by the Deputy Commissioner in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department.
Osifeso assured the public of transparency in the ongoing investigation and promised that the findings would be made public.
The incident has sparked fresh concerns about police conduct and the safety of citizens, particularly during routine traffic operations.
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