#EndSARS: How Jimoh Isiaq was killed

Saturday, October 10, 2020 9:13 pm

Jimoh Isiaq in Ogbomoso

By Nehru Odeh

Jimoh Isiaq, a student of Ladoke Akintola University Ogbomoso, was reportedly shot dead by the police today during an #EndSARS protest in Ogbomoso, Oyo State

Isiaq, a resident of Ogiri Compound Ita Alasa, Ogbomoso, was killed when a police team monitoring the protest allegedly opened fire at demonstrators who had gathered to lent their voices to the ongoing EndSARS protest rocking the nation.

According to eye witnesses, the police officers used live bullets to disperse the crowd and in the process Isiaq was hit.

The victim was then rushed to the Ladoke Akintola Teaching Hospital Ogbomoso where doctors battled to save his life but couldn’t, as according to them, the bullet had pierced his rib. However, what makes Isiaq’s death intriguing is that he was not part of the protesters, as he was only an onlooker.

Meanwhile the police have denied the killing, saying that they did not open fire at the protesters. The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Nwachukwu Enwonwu, via a statement signed by the command’s spokesperson Fadeyi Gbenga, said the police did not fire a shot or kill any protester.

However, according to the statement, the protesters “were not hindered in any form until they started throwing stones into the police premises and tried to gain entrance into the premises.”

The statement reads: “The CP wishes to state that the Police allowed the protesters to express their feelings during the protest and they were not hindered in any form until when they started throwing stones into the Police premises and attempted to gain entrance into the premises.”

Still, Isiaq’s killing has further increased agitations for the scrapping of the Special Anti Robbery Squad, as Nigerians have taken to social media to say this latest death justifies their agitations and is the more reason why SARS should be scrapped.