Ogun State Police Command has confirmed that the shooting of a truck driver at Itori, Ewekoro local government area of Ogun State, on Monday was carried out by security operatives.
It however said the unidentified security operatives were not policemen.
The position of the police command was made known in a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesman, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi.
The police added too that contrary to the news making the rounds that the truck driver dead, he was receiving treatment in an hospital.
The statement reads in part: “The command, for clarification purpose wishes to state that the perpetrators of the dastardly act though they are security operatives are not policemen, and that the victim contrary to what many news media reported is alive and currently receiving treatment in a hospital.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, has visited the victim in the hospital and he has vowed to do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to book within the shortest possible period, because the action is a flagrant display of impunity which has no place in our laws.”
The command said police operatives were already on the trail of “those security operatives who shot the harmless victim, and their identity will be made known to the public as soon as they are apprehended.”
The statement by the police reads in full:
“The attention of Ogun State police command has been drawn to various news headlines in both online and print media in respect of the unfortunate incident which happened in Itori area of Ewekoro local government on Monday 27th of June 2022, in which a truck driver was shot by yet to be identified security operatives.
“Most newspaper as well as online platforms have reported that the victim was shot by policemen and that the said victim had given up the ghost.
“The command, for clarification purpose wishes to state that the perpetrators of the dastardly act though they are security operatives are not policemen, and that the victim contrary to what many news media reported is alive and currently receiving treatment in a hospital.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Bankole, has visited the victim in the hospital and he has vowed to do everything possible to bring the perpetrators to book within the shortest possible period, because the action is a flagrant display of impunity which has no place in our laws.
“The command therefore wishes to appeal to men of the pen profession to always verify their information before going to press in order not to misinform and mislead members of public
“The general principle of “if you are in doubt leave out” which is one of the basic ethics of journalism needs to be strictly adhered to.
“Meanwhile, the command on the order of the Commissioner of Police CP Lanre Bankole, is already on the trail of those security operatives who shot the harmless victim, and their identity will be made known to the public as soon as they were apprehended.”
