SARS: Residents set police station ablaze over student’s murder

Aggrieved residents of Iwo Town in Osun state have burnt down a police station following the killing of a young man allegedly by the operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Premium Times gathered that the deceased, Tunde Nafiu, was shot while he was trying to board a commercial motorcycle to Ile-Ogbo, a neighbouring community.
The victim was said to be a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Iree, Osun state.
It was reported that residents gathered on Friday in protest, leading to the burning of the police station in the town.
An eyewitness said a stray bullet hit Nafiu when the SARS were shooting into the air.
“At about 9:30 pm yesterday, there was a carnival along Ile-Ogbo area of Iwo,” said the witness who asked not to be named.
“At that time, the SARS guys were trying to parade and they were obstructed as a result of the on-going carnival.
Afterwards, the officers were able to pass but they saw people gyrating.
That prompted the shooting from the security operatives.” A resident, Dauda Ahmed, who also witnessed the protest, said the incident was not the first as the police officers were fond of threatening residents by shooting.
“This is not the first time.
We need to show them that they can’t just behave anyhow.
All these have to stop,” he said.
The press secretary to the monarch of Iwo land, Ibrahim Ali, also confirmed the incident, but could not give our reporter a detailed report on the killing.
“We are discussing the issue with the king now; I’ll get back to you later,” he said.
However, the spokesperson for the Osun state Police Command, Folashade Odoro, refused to comment on the issue, saying she was in the middle of a programme, when contacted.
There are reports that the police officer who fired the shot has been detained.