The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the death of an Inspector, Omolayo Olajide, who was gunned down during a shootout with gunmen suspected to be bandits.
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday, said two of the bandits were also killed in the gun battle which happened on Tuesday.
Oyeyemi said police operatives attached to the Ayetoro Division had received a distress call that a group of bandits were attacking some Fulani herdsmen at Saala Orile forest.
“Upon receiving the distress call, the DPO of Ayetoro, CSP Bernard Ediogboyan, immediately led his men and operatives of the Joint security Intervention squad (JSIS) to the scene.
“On sighting the policemen, the bandits opened fire on them and the policemen returned ‘fire-for-fire’.
“At the end of the encounter which lasted for about twenty minutes, two amongst the bandits were shot dead while others escaped with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.
“Regrettably, an Inspector of Police, by name Omolayo Olajide, lost his life during the gun duel,” Oyeyemi said.
He listed some of the items recovered from the bandits to include three locally-made guns, 16 live cartridges, assorted criminal charms, one cutlass, one small phone and an unregistered Bajaj motorcycle.
