#ENDSARS: Man shot in Oyo as protest turns deadly

A yet-to-be identified youth in Oyo State protesting against the activities of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was shot on Saturday.

Witnesses said the man was shot by the police, but a police spokesperson denied the claim.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the man was shot in the leg when protesters arrived the Owode Police Station in Ogbomoso.

The youth had in the early hours of Saturday stormed major streets in the town to demand the ban of the dreaded police unit.

The state police public relations officer, Olugbenga Fadeyi, said police did not shoot anyone.

He added that the police only used tear gas to disperse the protesters when they arrived the station.

He said the decision was taken in a bid to forestall an attack on the police station.

Mr Fadeyi who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday said, “It was not true. I spoke with the Area Commander and he told me that nothing of such occurred. They did not shoot anybody. The police allowed them to protest for over one hour.

“But, at a point, they wanted yo force themselves into the police station. They only used tear gas to disperse them so that they will not go into the police station and destroy the police station.

“By the time they have access to the police station, they can go and destroy some things. That was the information I got.”

Don’t allow protest to lead to anarchy — Ex-Oyo SSG advises Buhari

Meanwhile, a former Secretary to Oyo State government, Sharafadeen Alli, has advised the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari to listen to Nigerians and do the needful.

ALSO READ: Buhari speaks on #ENDSARS protests

Mr Alli gave this advice as protests against the operation of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) continued across the country Saturday.

Mr Alli, who was the gubernatorial candidate of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in 2019 elections, said although the government may have reasons for not scrapping the force department, but with the protest, it is obvious Nigerians are not confortable with their operations.

Mr Alli noted that experience over the years have shown that protests could be disastrous if not properly managed.

He cited the Algerian example where former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika was ousted following months of youth-led street demonstrations, and Omar al-Bashir of Sudan.