Journalist shot by policeman in Osun indicts CP

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

The Osun State Correspondent of The Nation Newspaper, Toba Adedeji, who was shot with a live bullet by a trigger-happy policeman during a protest in Osogbo, has accused the state Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode of misinforming the public about the incident.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Wednesday, Adedeji also frowned at the refusal of the police authorities to own up to the crime.

He expressed displeasure over alleged claim by Olokode that none of his men shot live bullets while dispersing protesters during the protest last week.

Olokode, while featuring on a radio programme in Osogbo on Wednesday had claimed that Adedeji was not hit by a bullet but was injured by a mere metal scratch.

The police commissioner said that he had obtained a medical report from the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, which allegedly revealed that Adedeji had metal scratch, as against bullet wound.

But, Adedeji said: “I want to state it emphatically here that CP Olokode lied. 

“He said when he came to pay me visit at home that I told him that I was not shot. This is a lie and it is so unfortunate, coming from a senior police officer because we never had such discussion but I told him that I was shot at the scene by policemen led by DPO Oyegade of Dugbe police station. 

“In fact, he was trying to change the narrative as he told me that the police and hoodlums had shoot out at the scene but I refuted the claim saying there was no confrontation with the protesters that warranted shooting that day. He could not talk till he left my house that day. 

“The outburst of lies by the Osun State police further entrench that police should not be trusted for any reason again because the people of the state are not safe again. 

Residents of Osun fear policemen more than they fear armed robbers. 

“I want to state it clearly that, while I was been treated at UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, the CP called some of my colleagues on phone at the hospital and started appealing that we should kill the story, saying he was wrongly briefed over the matter.

“When he was summoned to Abuja headquarters of police, he visited the NUJ national chairman that he should direct his member to stop reporting on the matter. 

“As far as my treatment is concerned at UNIOSUNTH, I never told them at the hospital that it was not gunshot. If gunshots were not fired on that day, why will I be running from the scene.” 

He tasked police authorities to fish out those responsible for the shooting, stating that he could identify the Divisional Police Officer of Dugbe, Oyegade as the leader of the squad.