For many citizens, the sight of a police checkpoint triggers not a feeling of security but a surge of anxiety.
What is constitutionally mandated to be routine safety enforcement has devolved into a cycle of trigger-happy aggression, where minor altercations, routine questioning or simple roadside disputes routinely escalate into fatal gunfire.
DAILY POST reports that decades after calls for systemic police reform reached a national boiling point, the reality on the ground tells a grimly consistent story.
Young people are now profiled for their appearance, traders are extorted at gunpoint, and peaceful residents are subjected to brutal physical discipline by those sworn to protect them.
On Wednesday, August 19, 2026, the life of Owolabi Oniyiku, a 32-year-old tiler, was abruptly cut short along the Ifonyintedo–Akinde Road in Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State. The Lagos-based resident and father of one had returned to his hometown to celebrate the traditional Oro festival, unaware that it would be his last.
One of the operatives attached to the Idiroko Border Patrol Team was said to have fired the shot that hit Oniyiku in the chest, killing him instantly and triggering violent protests and tension in the border community.
An 18-second viral clip showed the lifeless body of the victim as youths were heard saying, “Police officers in Idiroko have killed someone.”
The police spokesperson, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the incident in a terse statement, saying, “The Command is aware of the case and investigating the case diligently.”
He also confirmed that the police officers involved in the act had been arrested.
Recall that in March, the Students’ Union Government of Olabisi Onabanjo University accused officers of the Nigeria Police Force of assaulting their leaders and opening fire on unarmed students during a clash at the Oru-Ijebu Police Station in Ogun State.
According to a statement jointly signed by the SUG President, Kehinde Bamigbose, and General Secretary, Olajire Emmanuel, the incident began after reports emerged that some students had been arrested under “unclear and questionable” circumstances, prompting the SUG Legal Director to visit the station to verify the situation.
“Rather than engage constructively, the police officers resorted to reckless violence. Without justification, they opened fire on unarmed students.
“In the course of this unwarranted aggression, a student was shot in the hand, several students were brutalised and assaulted, multiple students were unlawfully arrested, and panic and chaos were deliberately instigated through continuous gunfire,” it stated.
However, the police command denied claims that they detained a student after an alleged confrontation between students and officers at the Oru-Ijebu Police Division.
The PPRO insisted that no student was in custody at the time of the visit and that the situation escalated after the students became agitated upon receiving the response from the authorities.
“The students became agitated, breached the station gate, threw stones and bottles, threatening police personnel and property. Reinforcements were called, and teargas was used to disperse the crowd. Normalcy has since been restored,” Babaseyi added.
The command stated that the deployment of reinforcements was necessary to prevent further breakdown of law and order, as well as to safeguard officers and public property within the station.
In July 2024, a policeman shot a betting agent to death in the Imala area of Abeokuta, the state capital. The victim, Anuoluwapo, a middle-aged man who operated a Bet9ja shop in front of a popular hotel in the area, was closing for the day when he was gunned down.
It was also alleged that the officers who emerged from the hotel were drunk before one of them released the bullet that killed the young man.
However, another eyewitness reported that the officers were chasing a suspect when one of them accidentally killed Anuoluwapo, popularly called Pepe.
It was also gathered that the officers immediately escaped into the hotel, calling for reinforcement, and that the backup team, on arrival, shot sporadically to pave the way for their escape from the scene.
The then police spokesperson in the state, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident, disclosing that all those involved had been invited as part of the investigation.
Till date, no further update has been made public.
Also, in December 2024, a trigger-happy police officer in Iperu, Ikenne Local Government Area of the state, shot Nigerian actor and movie director Azeez Ijaduade.
The bullet was said to have hit the actor in the neck after the officer, attached to one of the Chinese expatriates, shot in the air during a company’s end-of-year party.
DAILY POST reported that Ijaduade, his crew members and other actors were shooting a movie at the same hotel when the bullet hit the actor’s neck. He was rushed to Babcock University Hospital, where he was confirmed to be stable and responding to treatment.
In February 2020, Tiyamiyu Kazeem, assistant captain of Remo Stars FC, popularly known as ‘Kaka’, was allegedly killed by an officer of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in the state.
The talented defender, 21, was allegedly pushed out of the vehicle by the SARS operative, who had mistaken him for a suspected internet fraudster (Yahoo boy), before he was hit by an incoming vehicle.
In a statement by the Remo Stars media officer, Oladimeji Oshode, the incident happened at about noon along Sagamu Road. According to him, the accused officer stopped the vehicle the deceased was driving. Kazeem was said to have been with Sanni Abubakar, his teammate.
“The SARS officer stopped Tiyamiyu Kazeem, insisting that he was a Yahoo Boy. He brought out his identity (ID) card to identify himself as a player of Remo Stars FC, but the officer insisted on taking him to the nearest police station in Sagamu.
“Tiyamiyu and Sanni obliged and followed the SARS officers, only for them to notice that they were driving towards the Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway. The guys then questioned where the SARS officers were taking them, but this prompted them to stop the car and push him (Tiyamiyu) out of the car, whereby an oncoming vehicle knocked him down,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, the then spokesperson of the Ogun Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver while trying to escape after he had been arrested.
Oyeyemi also said the deceased was arrested for wearing a military cap and not on suspicion of being an internet fraudster.
He said, “Somebody gave the policeman information that the deceased usually put on military clothes and often oppressed people with it. He saw the boy wearing a military cap and arrested him and took him into his vehicle.
“On their way to Abeokuta, his vehicle developed a mechanical fault. He (policeman) parked and tried to rectify it. In the process, the suspect, who was not handcuffed, jumped out of the vehicle and took to his heels.
“While crossing the road, an oncoming vehicle crushed him to death along the expressway. The vehicle did not stop.”
Oyeyemi also clarified that the operative who arrested the deceased was an inspector attached to the Zonal Intervention Squad (ZIS), Obada, and not a SARS operative.
DAILY POST reports that ZIS is a special unit under the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone II, that operates mostly around border communities of Lagos and Ogun states.
Following the death of the Remo Stars Football Club player, the then Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, disbanded the Zonal Intervention Squad (ZIS) in Obada-Oko, Ogun State. The officer, Inspector Olaniyi Ogunsoro, was dismissed from service after being found guilty of conduct considered to be unprofessional.
Checkpoint Economy, Extortion and Spark of Violence
The latest August fatal encounter was not an isolated flashpoint but the climax of long-standing tensions over unauthorised toll-collecting by security personnel along border transit corridors.
For months, residents, farmers and commercial motorcyclists plying the Ifonyintedo route alleged routine harassment by police officers demanding cash payments or farm produce before allowing passage.
This reportedly provoked unknown individuals to set fire to the makeshift bamboo structure used as a checkpoint on Tuesday, forcing the security operatives to mount a roadblock and unleashing anger among commuters, motorcyclists, youths and residents plying the route the next day (Wednesday).
A youth in the area, Gbenasu Johnson, told DAILY POST that many motorcyclists fell victim to the angry police officers at the checkpoint on Wednesday morning, and that Oniyiku, who was carrying his friend on his motorcycle to Ilashe Garage, encountered the roadblock.
The deceased reportedly explained that they were from Ifonyintedo and had no knowledge of or involvement in the burning of the checkpoint structure.
“After the festival, Owolabi was not initially planning to return to his workplace. However, when his friend decided to travel back to Sango-Ota on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, he reportedly offered to take him on his motorcycle to Ilashe Garage, where the friend could continue his journey by public transport.
“It was during this journey that they reportedly encountered a blocked road in the Ifejido area, where a police checkpoint had reportedly been affected by an earlier incident.
“According to the information received, Owolabi saw some of his friends at the location whose motorcycles had reportedly been seized by police personnel. He stopped and began pleading with the officers to release the motorcycle belonging to one of his friends,” he stated.
The account indicated that Owolabi kept appealing to the officers, asking them to release the motorcycle and allow the affected person to go. It was during this interaction that an argument reportedly developed between Owolabi and one of the police officers. The situation reportedly escalated, and the officer allegedly discharged his firearm, striking Owolabi in the chest.
Outraged by the killing, local youths erupted in violent protest, setting fire to a police station in the community before carrying Oniyiku’s corpse to the Idiroko Area Command to demand immediate justice.
Reacting, former Chief of Staff to Governor Dapo Abiodun and the APC candidate for Yewa South/Ipokia Federal Constituency, Oluwatoyin Taiwo, condemned the retaliatory destruction of public and police infrastructure by angry youths, warning that vandalism only deepens the cycle of chaos rather than bringing the perpetrators of the shooting to account.
He expressed sadness over the young man’s death and cautioned against taking the law into their hands, emphasising that destroying government property or attacking outposts undermines the community’s moral high ground and complicates the collective search for genuine justice.
Taiwo insisted that justice must not only be served but must also be seen to be done, particularly against the backdrop of concerns among residents of border communities over alleged harassment and unprofessional conduct by some security personnel.
He Was Calm, Didn’t Fight, Smoke or Drink — A Brother’s Agony
For his elder brother, Festus Oniyiku, the pain of his sudden, violent death made no sense at all.
Festus, in an interview with DAILY POST, described the deceased as a calm, loving and caring person who did not fight, smoke or even drink.
“He was the second born and 32 years old before he was killed. My brother is married with one child,” Festus said, his voice heavy with the enduring shock of a family’s foundation being ripped away.
“Owolabi is a very good person in our family. He’s a very calm person; he doesn’t fight, doesn’t smoke or even drink. He’s the person that the family really loves a lot.
“His father and mother are still alive and this is a very hard time for them; it’s not easy,” he added.
Festus lamented that the family was yet to see the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, or the Commissioner of Police since the incident. He stated that just two officers were sent from Abeokuta to check on the family and visit the crime scene.
He appealed to the state government and Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, to ensure that his late brother gets the justice he deserves and that the officer responsible is dismissed.
“About five days ago, they sent two officers from Abeokuta to us. They just came to visit the family and check where the incident happened; they did not do anything aside from that.
“We didn’t see any DPO or even the Commissioner of Police. What we want from the government and from the Nigeria Police Force is justice for Owolabi. We want them to do the needful; the officers that shot him dead should be dismissed.
“His parents are still alive and this is a very hard time for them; it’s not easy. He has not yet been buried; his corpse is still in the mortuary. There have been a lot of cases of harassment and extortion in this area. But since they killed him, there is no police officer, no checkpoint or roadblock on the road again,” he added.
When contacted recently for an update on the case, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, ASP Oluborode Opeyemi, offered a brief assurance that accountability was still underway.
“Investigation is still ongoing, and when we have more information to give, you will definitely hear about it,” the Deputy PPRO stated.
Reiterating the command’s commitment to updating the public, the spokesperson added, “I can assure you that investigation is still ongoing, and we would be briefing the public about developments on it very soon.”
“Checkpoints Must Provide Security, Not Fear” — NYCN Tells Police
Reacting to the incident, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ipokia Local Government Branch, called for an immediate, independent and transparent investigation into the incident.
In a joint statement signed by Branch Coordinator Comrade Gbenasu Johnson and Secretary Comrade Babarinde Kofoworola, the youth council insisted that the life of every Nigerian is sacrosanct and protected by law.
The leadership declared that the troubling circumstances surrounding Oniyiku’s death leave no room for administrative cover-ups, calling for swift, credible intervention to ensure justice is served.
The youth council highlighted a growing pattern of systemic abuse along border transit corridors, revealing that residents and legitimate road users across Ipokia have long suffered under an overwhelming burden of illegal policing.
According to the NYCN, communities have repeatedly raised alarms over the proliferation of unauthorised roadblocks, arbitrary stops, relentless extortion and physical intimidation, warning that when law enforcement operations become overly aggressive, excessive and uncoordinated, routine civilian interactions inevitably turn into deadly confrontations.
“A security checkpoint should provide security; it should not become a source of fear. A police officer should inspire confidence; the uniform should not become a source of intimidation.
“And a citizen’s attempt to pass through a security checkpoint should never become a situation in which his or her life is placed at unnecessary risk,” the statement read.
To ensure full accountability, the NYCN called on the Nigeria Police Force, particularly the Idiroko Division, to publish a detailed, official timeline of events leading up to, during and immediately after the fatal shooting.
The council insisted that every officer present at the scene must be identified and subjected to an impartial investigation, adding that any operative found guilty of misconduct, unlawful use of lethal force or criminal negligence must face full prosecution and disciplinary action under the law.
Beyond individual accountability, the youth leadership also demanded a comprehensive overhaul of security operations across the entire local government area and insisted that the bereaved family must not be left to depend on rumours, as they deserve an official account of what happened and a clear explanation of the outcome of the investigation.
Oniyiku’s Death Marks Third Extrajudicial Police Killing in the Last Three Years — IPYF
The Ipokia Local Government Youth Forum, IPYF, in a statement signed by the General Secretary, Adeyemi Olusegun, slammed the border patrol officers involved, accusing those constitutionally mandated to protect citizens of deploying lethal force against an unarmed civilian at an illegal checkpoint.
The group noted with deep frustration that Oniyiku’s death marks the third extrajudicial killing in the locality within the last three years, recalling the tragic death of Miss Adeleye Eniola, who was fatally struck by a reckless officer locally known as “Freedom.”
The forum warned that it could no longer sit on the fence while young lives are brutally cut short in their prime. They vowed to launch massive, peaceful protests alongside their comrades, insisting they would not back down until the officers responsible were unmasked and the culture of impunity dismantled.
To restore peace and accountability, the IPYF laid out a strict six-point demand for law enforcement authorities. Top on their list is an immediate, transparent investigation into the murder and the swift criminal prosecution of all personnel present at the scene.
The youths also demanded the total disbandment of the unauthorised Ifonyintedo checkpoint, along with all similar illegal roadblocks in the region, and insisted on an official apology and condolence visit from the police hierarchy to the bereaved family.
“In the interest of justice and accountability, we respectfully but firmly demand the following: Immediate and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Owolabi Oniyiku, identification and investigation of all police personnel who were present at the alleged checkpoint at the time of the gruesome murder.
“Appropriate disciplinary and criminal proceedings against any officer found culpable, in accordance with Nigerian law and due process. Official communication to the family of the deceased by the hierarchy of the Nigeria Police Force for an apology and condolence visit.
“Disbandment of the illegal, unauthorised checkpoint where the incident happened and other illegal checkpoints along Ifonyintedo Road, and provision of the empirical mandate, deployment order, personnel attached to the checkpoint and rules governing their operations.
“Immediate measures to prevent further unlawful checkpoints, harassment, intimidation, extortion and abuse of residents and road users on all other roads in our communities in Ipokia Local Government and our sister local government, Yewa South,” they concluded.
The Shadow of the #EndSARS Panel: A Broken Promise
Years before a bullet cut short Owolabi Oniyiku’s life, the streets of Ogun State echoed with citizens demanding an end to police brutality during the #EndSARS protests.
In response to the nationwide outcry, Governor Dapo Abiodun set up a nine-man judicial panel of inquiry in October 2020 to investigate human rights abuses, listen to grieving families and deliver justice.
The panel began its sittings on November 5 with a mandate to submit its report in six months. For many, it felt like a turning point, a chance to hold rogue officers accountable and stop them from claiming more lives.
During this time, families came forward with heartbreaking stories, hoping the government would punish bad actors and fix a broken system. The petitions laid bare a chilling culture of cruelty.
Among them was Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, who appeared in a wheelchair to recount how he was hit by a police bullet over a N20 bribe. The shooting left him crippled and dashed his hope of “naturally impregnating a lady.”
There was also the mother of Seyi Akinade, a student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), who died by suicide after losing N7 million in forex trading following his illegal detention by SARS operatives.
She told the panel that Seyi became deeply depressed and drank a toxic insecticide known as “sniper.”
A widow, Adebimpe Sobowale, testified that her husband was tortured to death in police custody over N200 airtime traced to her phone.
Similarly, Oluwasola Oladunjoye, a weightlifter who finished fourth in the 69kg category representing Nigeria at the 2008 Commonwealth Games in India, recounted how an officer, Gbenga Olajide, slapped and stabbed him in the neck.
Oladunjoye stated that the permanent injury cost him his career and barred him from participating in the 2017 weightlifting festival in Cuba.
In July 2021, the Chairman of the Judicial Panel, Justice Solomon Olugbemi, disclosed that the panel recommended the payment of over N218 million in compensation to 42 victims or their families.
Submitting the 289-page report to Governor Abiodun at the Executive Council Chamber in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Justice Olugbemi added that the panel also called for the investigation, discipline and prosecution of indicted security personnel to serve as a deterrent.
He revealed that out of 106 petitions received, 58 were treated, while 48 were either withdrawn, rejected or abandoned.
However, the panel’s final report and recommendations largely gathered dust. The promised reforms never really reached the streets or police checkpoints, leaving a vacuum where impunity thrives.
Illegal Roadblocks Violate Fundamental Human Rights — CDHR
President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Comrade Yinka Folarin, has asserted that illegal roadblocks violate the freedom of movement of residents and contribute to the number of casualties experienced in the country.
He explained that these spots have long ceased to serve security purposes and instead function as collection centres for extortion.
Folarin, who was a member of the state judicial panel set up to address police brutality and other extrajudicial killings, clarified that while checkpoints remain necessary, they must be authorised and used strictly for security purposes, not for extortion.
“I’m not disputing the fact that checkpoints are necessary, but they must be authorised and they must be there for security checks and not for extortion purposes.
“Unauthorised checkpoints and places where officers decide to mount roadblocks for the purpose of extortion contribute in no small measure to violations of the citizens’ rights. You would also recall that these were part of the incidents that preceded the #EndSARS struggle of 2020–2021.
“And I thought that by now all of that would have been modified, would have been looked into accordingly, especially when there are reports of incidents that have created serious issues between the citizens and the Nigerian Police Force.
Police Officers Should Be Subjected to Psychological Examination
Speaking on the recent killing of Oniyiku, the human rights advocate described the incident as a clear misuse of firearms and stressed the urgent need for a thorough psychological assessment of police officers.
He argued that the offending officer and his team members present at the scene deserve no shelter or mercy, calling for their immediate dismissal.
The CDHR president said, “It is a misuse of firearms. Calling him a happy trigger police officer is not out of place, and I think there is a need for a thorough psychological examination, just as we recommended during the #EndSARS panel.
“There is a need for psychological examination of many of the officers that have been deployed to gather intelligence and to even go to these checkpoints. If not, how do you explain why an officer should go on and shoot an unarmed citizen?
“This is a very sad development, and it also reminds us that many of those officers have not learnt much from the struggles of #EndSARS. I think there is a need for that officer and his colleagues who were even there to be subjected to psychological examination and dismissal from the force.
“They must be dismissed from the force because nobody has the right to take the life of an innocent person. When you look at the responsibility of the police force, it is protection of life and property. So it is a situation where the one who is to protect is not the one taking the life in an extrajudicial manner,” he told DAILY POST.
He asserted that the Force needs to look into the recommendations given by the #EndSARS panel, expressing deep sadness that the Ogun State government, led by Governor Dapo Abiodun, was yet to act on the submitted report.
“There is something wrong somewhere and that must be thoroughly probed and looked into. I think the Nigerian Police Force needs to revisit most of our recommendations. And unfortunately, our governors, especially in my own state, have not acted responsibly on the report of the #EndSARS panel.
“That was a panel where we were paid with taxpayers’ money to carry out the assignment, but that report has not been implemented or even looked into. Probably, if those reports had been acted upon, some of these tragedies would have been prevented.
“Who knows, maybe that officer has committed infractions in the past and was recommended for punishment. We need a whole-society approach to put an end to this police brutality.”
Recalling the financial and administrative scope of the panel’s work, he emphasised that government inaction sends a dangerous, enabling signal.
“When the government demonstrates no seriousness and is not ready to look into the recommendations, it is a sad one. Invariably, they have contributed to the continual brutality we experience after the #EndSARS struggle because your failure to implement shows that, one way or the other, they are indirectly giving approval to these happenings.”
A Call for Professional Policing and Political Will
Addressing the police officers stationed on highways, Folarin called for a total shift towards community-centred and professional policing.
“They must always understand that they are the first custodians of human rights and give premium to human life. They are given arms not to harm citizens, but to ensure that law and order are obeyed.
“As we move into the era of community policing, you cannot do without the people. Respect their human dignity and rights; they are fundamental and not negotiable,” he stated.
Meanwhile, he stressed that stopping extrajudicial killings requires more than mere rhetoric and urged the government to demonstrate political will towards securing the right to life and the general rights of citizens.
Ogun communities groan as extrajudicial killings, brutality persist