Resident of Idigbo, a community in the Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, thought it was a scene of a movie when they heard the gunshot and the subsequent drop of a man.
Many, who were a distance away from the scene came to the realisation that it was not a movie when they saw chaos, with tears flowing freely.
It was an official of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) that fired the gun shot intentionally at a man.
What was his crime?
The victim had refused to let go of a small amount of money that could only buy a bottle of soft drink.
The victim, Jacob Bamgbola, was conveying his niece on a motorcyclist to a destination in the community.
He was not aware that will be his last moment here on earth.
While riding to his destination, he encountered some immigration officers manning a checkpoint on the expressway.
The NIS officers stopped him along the Ijowun end of the Idiroko Expressway and demanded for ₦200 before allowing him to continue his journey.
Bamgbola refused to pay the requested amount, insisting that he did nothing wrong to warrant him being extorted of ₦200.
Sadly, the situation reportedly led to a heated argument, and while some of the officers were busy interrogating other motorists, Bamgbola took advantage of the fact that much attention was not on him and zoomed off.
The Reinforcement
Also, A source revealed that on getting to his sister’s place, Bamgbola dropped his niece and proceeded to inform some youths in the community about his encounter with the immigration officers.
Now, some of the youths have had similar experiences with the immigration officers on the road.
On hearing this, the youths mobilised to the house of a chief in the community, Moses Faleye, to protest about the development.
During the protest, the immigration officers stormed the premises and, while trying to disperse the protesters, allegedly shot Bamgbola dead.
“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 ₦200 from him, but he refused.
“He told them that he was a son of Otun village and asked why he should 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,” a source told journalists.
Extortion
Expressing displeasure with the officers, the head of the vigilance group in the town, Adesina Alabi, condemned the act.
He said that security personnel were fond of extorting money from road users along the road.
“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,” Alabi reportedly said.
The community chief, Falaye, also expressed displeasure.
To him, the events that claimed Bamgbola’s life was unfortunate. The matter should have been settled amicably, he insisted.
The Clash
“It happened in front of my house. Youths in the town came to register their displeasure over the activities of the immigration officers in our community.
“While I was trying to placate them, some immigration officers came, and when they saw the youths, they started to shoot in the air.
“In the process, one person was hit by a bullet, and he died.
“After the incident, the case was reported at the Igbokofi Police Station, and the policemen came with cameras, and they took statements from us.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the NIS in the state, Olajide Oshifeso, reportedly told journalists that “the matter is already being investigated, and when it is completed, details of the matter will be made public”.
