PREMIUM TIMES

A young man, Jimoh Isiaka, who joined scores of others in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, to protest against police brutality has been shot dead allegedly by a police officer.

The police have denied shooting at the protesters but there is no evidence any of the protesters was armed with a gun and the police did not say if anyone else was armed with a gun during the protest.

The police have used force to disperse largely peaceful protesters in major Nigerian cities including the capital, Abuja.

Thousands of protesters across Nigeria have been demanding an end to police brutality and called for the scrapping of the notorious police unit, FSARS (Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad).

Officers in the unit have been accused of murder, extortion, harassment, assault and other crimes by several young Nigerians, many of whom narrated their ordeals using the hashtag #EndSARS.

Mr Isiaka was part of the protesters in Ogbomoso on Saturday.

Witnesses told PREMIUM TIMES that the protesters were dispersed with gunshots and teargas as they approached a police building in Owode area of Ogbomoso. One of the bullets hit Mr Isiaka who was rushed to the hospital but later died.

He was buried Saturday evening.

Police Deny Shooting

After the shooting, the police spokesperson in Oyo State, Olugbenga Fadeyi, told PREMIUM TIMES that the police did not shoot at the protesters.