Police Arrest 2 Customs Officers Over Fatal Osogbo Shooting

The Osun State Police Command on Sunday confirmed the arrest of two officers of the Nigeria Customs Service over a fatal shooting that occurred in the Dada Estate area of Osogbo on Saturday.

The command confirmed the arrests on Sunday in a statement issued by the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, and made available by the Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi.

According to the statement, the suspects were taken into custody shortly after the incident, which reportedly occurred while the officers were pursuing vehicles believed to be foreign-used cars.

Ojelabi identified the suspects as Kolawole Suuti and Danjuma Samuel, both serving officers of the Nigeria Customs Service. He said they were apprehended by police operatives following reports of gunfire in the area.

“The Osun State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that two officers of the Nigeria Customs Service have been arrested in connection with a shooting incident that occurred today in the Dada Estate area of Osogbo,” the statement read.

Police said the customs officers were reportedly chasing vehicles suspected to be “tokunbo” cars when the shooting occurred during the operation.

The police further disclosed that the driver of an ash-coloured Toyota Corolla, one of the vehicles allegedly being pursued, was struck by a gunshot and later confirmed dead by a doctor at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital.

The identity of the deceased had not been confirmed at the time of the statement, while the body was deposited in the hospital’s morgue pending identification.

Several items were recovered at the scene, including a Beretta pistol with breech number 125024, eleven rounds of 9mm live ammunition, one expanded 9mm shell, and two Toyota Corolla vehicles with registration numbers AAA 400 GQ (Lagos) and GFQ 0982 (Texas).

Ojelabi said the commissioner of police had ordered a comprehensive investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

The police also assured the public that anyone found culpable would face the full weight of the law and urged residents to remain calm and provide credible information to aid the ongoing investigation.