Ajegunle Shooting: Lagos Police Arrest ASP As Two-Year-Old Girl D!es, Another Injured

The Lagos State Police Command has detained an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Omotayo Olajide, following a shooting incident in the Nosamu area of Ajegunle that claimed the life of a two-year-old girl, Omole Taiwo, and left another young girl injured.

The incident reportedly occurred between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Thursday, November 5, in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State. The injured child is currently receiving medical treatment and has been confirmed to be in stable condition.

The police spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, explaining that Olajide, who was attached to Ajeromi Police Station, had been immediately disarmed and taken into custody following the shooting.

According to the police, the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) has taken over the investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Adebisi explained that preliminary findings indicated that the officer and other members of his team had responded to a distress call concerning a violent confrontation between two rival groups identified as the Nosamu Boys and the Alayabiagba Boys.

The groups were reportedly involved in a dispute over toll collection and were said to have been armed with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons when the police arrived at the scene.

The police spokesperson stated that Olajide discharged his firearm during the operation, with the bullet reportedly striking both children.

Although initial reports suggested that the officer might have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, the police statement did not confirm the allegation.

Adebisi further disclosed that both victims were initially rushed to Ajeromi General Hospital for medical attention. However, the two-year-old girl was subsequently transferred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, where she later died.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, said the officer’s detention and the transfer of the investigation to the SCID were necessary to ensure a thorough and impartial inquiry.

He explained that the investigation would determine the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting and establish whether criminal or disciplinary action should be taken against the officer.

Fatai also visited the deceased child’s family to offer his condolences, assuring them that the police would not protect any officer found responsible for the incident.

The commissioner further appealed to members of the public with useful information about the shooting to report to the nearest police station or contact the command’s Public Relations Department.

The incident has raised concerns over the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the safety of residents, particularly children, during police operations.