The father of a WAEC candidate shot dead by police officers in Ibadan on Tuesday, Mr Odunayo Alade, has explained why he refused to stop at a police checkpoint, a decision that tragically ended in the death of his son, Kehinde Alade.
Speaking to the press, Mr. Alade said he was rushing to get his son’s elder brother to an 8:30 a.m. examination and feared that stopping would cause a delay. He claimed he was unaware that the police were attempting to stop him until his vehicle was struck.
“You know how Nigerian government officials operate—once they stop you, there’s no quick release,” he said. “My son had an important exam. I didn’t want him to miss it.”
According to Alade, there were five children in the vehicle, including Kehinde and his twin brother. He said he only realized Kehinde had been shot after the twin raised an alarm.
“I heard a gunshot but thought we had left them behind,” he recounted. “It wasn’t until his brother started shouting that I knew something was wrong. I parked, pulled Kehinde out, and saw the blood.”
Mr. Alade said the police officers continued chasing him even after the shooting. He claimed he confronted one of the officers after discovering what had happened.
He added that Kehinde had recently expressed his dream of becoming a lawyer.
