Jacob Bamgbola, a protester, was fatally shot by a Nigerian Immigration Service officer who goes by the name Lamba in Idigbo neighborhood of Ogun State’s Yewa North Local Government Area.
According to Platinum Times, Bamgbola was traveling in the community with his sister’s daughter on a motorcycle when he was stopped by immigration officers stationed at a checkpoint on the Idiroko Expressway and asked to pay N200 before being allowed to continue.
According to information obtained by our correspondent, Bamgbola declined to comply with the officers’ order, claiming that he had done nothing wrong to merit being allegedly forced to pay N200.
The incident resulted in an argument, and while some of the officers were occupied questioning other drivers, Benjamin used the opportunity to flee when little attention was being paid to him.
Bamgbola dropped off his niece when he arrived at his sister’s house and then proceeded to share his experience with the immigration agents with some local kids.
The teenagers, some of whom had also had similar interactions bordering on suspected extortion by immigration authorities on the road, mobilized other youngsters to the residence of a chief in the community, Moses Faleye, to protest the development, a source in the community told our correspondent.
The source claimed that during the protest, immigration police attacked the location and, allegedly, shot Bamgbola dead while attempting to disperse the demonstrators.
He said, “Bamgbola went to carry his sister’s daughter and on his way back, he met immigration officers on the road. Those officers are always there at the checkpoint. They stopped him and wanted to collect N200 from him but he refused.
“He told them that he is a son of Otun village and why should he pay them anything. After he left, he complained to some youths and the youths mobilised themselves to the Baale’s house to register their grievances over the activities of the officers.
“But within some minutes, the immigration officers came in a van and while the Baale was trying to calm the situation, they started shooting and in the process, one of them known as Lamba shot Bamgbola. The youths were rushing Bamgbola to the hospital when he died.”
The head of the vigilance group in the town, Adesina Alabi, while complaining about the development, said security personnel were fond of extorting money from road users along the road.
“Just come to this side of the road and see how police, Customs officers, immigration officers, and others would just mount roadblocks and extort money from motorists. It is becoming too much,” he said.
Falaye, when contacted, said the events that claimed Bamgbola’s life was unfortunate, adding that the matter should have been settled amicably.
He said, “It happened in front of my house. Youths in the town came to register their displeasure over the activities of the immigration officers in our community.
“While I was trying to placate them, some immigration officers came and when they saw the youths, they started to shoot in the air. In the process, one person was hit by the bullet and he died.
“After the incident, the case was reported at the Igbokofi Police Station and the policemen came with cameras and they took statements from us.”
The state Police Public Relations, SP Omolola Odutola, told our correspondent that she was not aware of the case but promised to find out and get back to our correspondent.
She had yet to do so as of the time this report was filed.
Contacted, the spokesperson for the NIS in the state, Olajide Oshifeso, said, “The matter is already being investigated and when it is completed, details of the matter would be made public.”