Stray Police Bullet Kills 15-Year-Old WAEC Student in Oyo, Sparks Protests

A 15-year-old secondary school student named Taiwo was fatally shot by a yet-to-be-identified police officer on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the Gbagi area of Egbeda Local Government Area, Oyo State, while heading to a West African Examination Council (WAEC) examination center. The stray bullet struck Taiwo in the lower part of his body, penetrating the back seat of the car driven by his father, where he was seated with his twin brother. Despite being rushed to Welfare Hospital in Alakia and later transferred to University College Hospital (UCH), Taiwo was pronounced dead on arrival. His father, devastated, recounted leaving home with hopes of Taiwo excelling in his exams, only to lose him to what he described as unjustifiable police action during a pursuit of a driver allegedly evading arrest. Taiwo’s twin brother recalled the shocking moment when gunshots rang out, and he saw blood oozing from his brother’s side.

Outraged residents and sympathizers protested, carrying Taiwo’s remains to the Oyo State Government Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan, demanding justice. The governor’s Executive Assistant on Security, Sunday Odukoya, assured protesters of a thorough investigation. The Oyo State House of Assembly condemned the “painful and unwarranted” shooting, raised as a matter of urgent public importance by Deputy Leader Olasunkanmi Babalola. The Assembly called for the officer’s identification and prosecution, recommended psychological support and financial compensation for Taiwo’s family, and proposed a statewide campaign on citizens’ rights and police conduct. An eight-member committee, led by the Deputy Speaker, was formed to engage the Oyo State Commissioner of Police and report back.

Oyo State Police spokesperson Adewale Osifeso explained that the incident occurred during a joint traffic enforcement operation with the Oyo State Traffic Management Authority (OYTMA). The police attempted to stop a car driven by Taiwo’s father, Odunayo Alade, for driving against traffic. The driver allegedly accelerated, ramming into two OYTMA vehicles and a police truck, and broke through barricades. A police corporal fired at the vehicle’s tires to immobilize it, but the bullet tragically struck Taiwo, identified by police as Kehinde Alade, in the rear seat. Commissioner of Police Johnson Adenola deployed tactical units to restore calm and ordered a comprehensive investigation led by the State Criminal Investigation Department.