A fierce gun battle occurred between police operatives in Ogun State Command and bandits at Saala Orile forest, on Monday, January 24, 2022, while they were attacking some Fulani herdsmen, leading to the two of them being shot dead.
Disclosing this in a statement on Wednesday, January 26, the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said that the gun battle was preceded by a distress call received by policemen attached to Ayetoro division that a group of bandits were attacking some Fulani herdsmen at Isaala Orile forest.
“Upon the distress call, the Divisional Police Officer, Ayetoro, CSP Bernard Ediogboyan, quickly led his men and operatives of Joint Security Intervention Squad (JSIS) to the scene.
“On sighting the policemen, the bandits opened fire on them and the policemen replied fire for fire.
“At the end of the encounter, which lasted for about 20 minutes, two among the bandits were shot dead while others escaped with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.
“Regrettably, an Inspector of Police, Omolayo Olajide, lost his life during the gun duel,” the PPRO stated.
Recovered from the bandits were three locally-made guns, 16 live cartridges, assorted criminal charms, a cutlass, a small phone. and an unregistered Bajaj motorcycle.
Oyeyemi said that the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, who expressed sadness over the death of the police officer while fighting the bandits, had directed that members of the gang who escaped must be hunted for and brought to justice.
CP Bankole also commiserated with the family of the late Inspector, with an assurance that his death would not be in vain.
