A secondary school student on his way to sit for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) was killed by a stray bullet fired by a police officer during a vehicle chase in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Tuesday, May 19, 2025.
The incident occurred around the Welfare Hospital area in Alakia, Ibadan. Eyewitnesses said officers of the Nigeria Police Force were pursuing a fleeing vehicle along Gbagi Market Road when one officer opened fire in an attempt to stop the suspect. A bullet allegedly missed its intended target and struck the student, who was in his father’s car with his twin brother, en route to their exam center.
The boy was rushed to Welfare Hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Videos circulating online showed the student lying lifeless on a hospital stretcher, with visible injuries around his waist. A bullet hole was also observed in the father’s car, and blood stains were seen on the car’s floor.
The incident sparked outrage among bystanders and local traders, who expressed frustration over what they described as persistent police brutality in the area. In protest, sympathizers and market traders carried the boy’s body to the Oyo State Secretariat, demanding justice and seeking an audience with Governor Seyi Makinde.
As of press time, neither the Oyo State Police Command nor the state government had issued an official statement regarding the shooting.
