A secondary school student on his way to write the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) was tragically shot dead by a stray bullet fired by a police officer in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday, May 19, 2025.
The incident occurred near Welfare Hospital in Alakia, during a police chase of a fleeing vehicle along Gbagi Market Road. According to eyewitnesses, the officer fired shots while pursuing the suspect, but one of the bullets missed its intended target and struck the student, who was in his father’s car with his twin brother.
The teenager was immediately rushed to Welfare Hospital but was declared dead on arrival. He and his brother were reportedly on their way to their WAEC exam center.
Eyewitnesses report that a policeman, while trying to shoot at a vehicle they were chasing along Gbagi market road in Ibadan, hit an innocent school student with a stray bullet while he was in his father’s car. The student was rushed to Welfare Hospital but was declared dead on… pic.twitter.com/E6LnMmwjyG
— Oyo Affairs (@Oyoaffairs) May 20, 2025
Graphic evidence shared in viral videos shows the victim lying lifeless on a hospital stretcher, with a visible injury near his waist—believed to be the gunshot wound. A bullet hole was also seen in the family vehicle, along with bloodstains on the car’s floor.
The tragic event sparked outrage and grief in the community. Market traders and sympathizers, expressing anger over recurring cases of police recklessness and brutality, staged a protest and marched with the boy’s body to the Oyo State Secretariat. The demonstrators demanded immediate justice and called for an audience with Governor Seyi Makinde.
As of the time of this report, neither the Oyo State Police Command nor the state government had released an official statement regarding the incident.
