A protester, identified as Jacob Bamgbola has been shot and killed in the Idigbo community, Yewa North Local Government Area, Ogun State, by an officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service, identified only as Lamba.
According to The PUNCH, Bamgbola was transporting his sister’s daughter to their community on a motorbike when he was stopped by immigration officers at a checkpoint on the Idiroko Motorway near the Ijowun end. The officers asked for N200 before letting him continue.
It was gathered that Bamgbola did not give in to the cops’ demands, explaining that he had committed no wrongdoing that would have justified the alleged N200 extortion.
An altercation ensued, and while some of the police were questioning other drivers, Benjamin took advantage of the situation and sped away.
Bamgbola dropped off his niece when he arrived at his sister’s house and then proceeded to share his experience with the immigration agents with some youths.
The youths, some of whom had also had similar interactions bordering on suspected extortion by immigration authorities on the road, recruited other youths to the residence of a chief in the community, Moses Faleye, to protest the development, a source in the community told our correspondent.
The source claimed that during the protest, immigration police attacked the location and, allegedly, shot Bamgbola dead while attempting to disperse the demonstrators.
He said, “Bamgbola went to carry his sister’s daughter and on his way back, he met immigration officers on the road. Those officers are always there at the checkpoint. They stopped him and wanted to collect N200 from him but he refused.
“He told them that he is a son of Otun village and why should he pay them anything. After he left, he complained to some youths and the youths mobilised themselves to the Baale’s house to register their grievances over the activities of the officers.
“But within some minutes, the immigration officers came in a van and while the Baale was trying to calm the situation, they started shooting and in the process, one of them known as Lamba shot Bamgbola. The youths were rushing Bamgbola to the hospital when he died.”
The head of the town’s vigilance group, Adesina Alabi, criticised the development by stating that security personnel were fond of extorting money from motorists.
“Just come to this side of the road and see how police, Customs officers, immigration officers, and others would just mount roadblocks and extort money from motorists. It is becoming too much,” he said.
While the police is yet to confirm the incident, the spokesperson for the NIS in the state, Olajide Oshifeso, said, “The matter is already being investigated and when it is completed, details of the matter would be made public.”
