OP MESA Operatives Shoot SS 2 Students Dead In Abeokuta

By Jumoke Adeogun Abeokuta

Tragedy struck in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Thursday as Security operatives attached to the state's special security outfits, OPMESA shot dead, an SS 2 student of Unity High, Ago Ika, Abeokuta.

The SS 2 student, simply identified as Sadiat was gunned down by the bullets of one of the OP MESA operatives, whose direct shot missed target, but hit the 17-years old girl walking out of the school premises after finishing her examination for the day.

It was gathered that the OP MESA operatives were on a hot chase of one of the internet fraudsters popularly referred to as"Yahoo-yahoo boys", who ran into the area in an attempt to escape arrest.

But in the process of hacking him down, the security operatives allegedly shot directly at him without taking into cognisance, the presence of the students trooping out of the school premises, as well as other passersby.

The direct shot fired by the security operatives however, killed Sadiat, the only daughter of her mother, who was pronounced "dead on arrival" at the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Idi Aba, Abeokuta, where she was rushed to for treatment, while three other students and a commercial motorcyclist were also hit by the stray bullets fired by the operatives.

The development, which infuriated Sadiat's fellow students however, for them to approach the Enu - Gada Police Post in Ago Ika area for the purpose of protesting the death of their colleagues.

The students were said to have started throwing stones, broken bottles and other objects they could lay their hands on when the most senior police officer on duty gave the directive that the students should be forcefully dispersed from the area.

The security operatives' reinforcement, which arrived Enu Gada Police Post however, allegedly fuelled the tension, consequent upon which the students were eventually dispersed, while passersby were indiscriminately arrested for either fuelling the riot, or filming the scene of the crisis.

An SS 1 student of the school, Rafiu Ibrahim, who spoke with journalists, alleged that the security operatives shot directly at the students without regards to their safety, even when it was obvious that they were all in school uniform, emerging from the school premises.

When contacted, the command's Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, who tactically confirmed the incident, however, denied knowledge of the death of the SS 2 student of Unity High School, Abeokuta.

Oyeyemi, who disclosed that a Police Inspector (name not disclosed) was macheted on the head, further said that the security operatives were not chasing any "Yahoo-yahoo" but, but a notorious secret cultist, who had for a long time, been on the wanted list of the police.

He explained that residents of the area collided with the suspected cultist and attempted to prevent the security operatives from performing their lawful duty, hence the need to deploy minimum force to scare away the people.