Nation Newspaper Correspondent Says Osun CP, Olokode Lied About Him Not Sustaining Gunshot Injury

The Correspondent of The Nation Newspaper in Osun, Toba Adedeji, said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Olawale Olokode, lied by claiming that he was not shot by the police but rather sustained injury from a sharp metal.

Speaking during a media conference on Wednesday, Toba said the reaction become imperative following the non admittance of the police over the incident.

It would be recalled that Toba Adedeji was allegedly shot on 31st of May, 2022 by some overzealous Policemen who were trying to disperse a group of people who had gathered to mourn the death of one Abiola Afolabi, that was allegedly killed by police officers in April.

However, the Commissioner of Police, Olokode, while featuring on a Radio program (Fresh FM) Osogbo on Wednesday, claimed Toba Adedeji was never shot that he only sustained injury from a metal scratch.

Olokode claimed that he had obtained a medical report from the UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, which indicates that Toba had a metal scratch injury, as against sustaining a bullet wound.

Reacting to the CP’s claims, Adedeji in a speech titled: “Police Should Never Be Trusted Again”, said all what CP Olokode said were fabricated, saying it is all far from the truth and that the police boss was trying to change the narratives of what truly happened.

Adedeji further explained that while he was being treated at the University of Osun (UNIOSUN) Teaching Hospital, in Osogbo, the CP called some of his colleagues on phone at the hospital and pleaded that journalists in the state should kill the story, stating that he was wrongly briefed over the incident.

He added that when Olokode was summoned to the Police Headquarters in Abuja over the incident, he visited the National Chairman of the NUJ with a directive that the Chairman should direct his member to stop the reports on the matter.

He, however, called on concerned authorities that it is important they should unravel the mystery behind the said medical report because the integrity of the hospital is at stake.

“I want to state it emphatically here that CP Olokode lied.

“He said when he came to pay me a visit at home, that I told him that I was not shot, this is a lie and it is so unfortunate coming from a senior police officer because we never had such discussion.

“What I told him was that I was shot at the scene by policemen from Dugbe Police Station, Osogbo, led by the DPO, Mr Oyegade.

“In fact, he was trying to change the narrative as he told me that the police and hoodlums had a shoot out at the scene but I refuted the claim saying there was no confrontation with the protesters that warranted shooting that day. He could not talk till he left my house that day.

“The outburst of lies by the Osun State police further entrenches that fact that police should not be trusted, for any reasons again, and that the people of the state are not safe from the police.

“Residents of Osun fear policemen more than they fear armed robbers.

“As far as my treatment is concerned at UNIOSUNTH, I never told them at the hospital that my injury was not a gunshot wound.

“If gunshots were not fired on that day, why will I be running from the scene?” he said

Toba afterwards demanded that the police leadership must provide those officers who allegedly shot at him that day.

He said he could identify the Divisional Police Officer of Dugbe, Oyegade as the leader of the squad.

“The Commissioner of Police should tender a public apology for lying that I told him that I was not shot but sustained injury from metal scratch. He must retract the statement which is a lie against my personality.

“The Police in Osun has lost its leadership and IGP must look for a way to address this before another wind of #EndSARS take over the state.

“The strange faces that had been trailing me to hospital since the issue happened must also be checked by Directorate of the State Services and other security agencies.

“There should be independent investigation into the alleged medical report which the CP claimed was obtained from UNIOSUNTH with a view to finding out the author of the said report.

“The consultant in charge of Accident and emergency unit of the Hospital, Dr Ogungbemi and the Doctor that treated me, apart from the questions I was asked, also interviewed my colleagues, who were also eye witnesses, to ascertain my story over the incident.” he said.