Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
A lawmaker representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/ Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Honourable Bamidele Salam has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, to, within seven days, order immediate probe and arrest of officers of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)  who allegedly gave some youths they suspected to be yahoo boys a hot chase while driving in a car, leading to the death of one of them, Idris Ajibola.
The lawmaker also urged the state government under the administration of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola to set up  a public panel of enquiry to investigate  the death of Idris and the injuries sustained by three others in the vehicle that was involved in an accident during the chase.
“If these do not happen, I, Bamidele Salam, representing Ede North/South Egbedore Ejigbo Local Government will singlehandedly institute a legal action against the Nigerian Police Force to claim damages for the families of the young men to prevent recurrence of such incident and to endure justice,” Salam said.
He lamented that security personnel’s harassment of perceived rich youths driving exotic cars on the roads had hit an alarming proportion and called for concern and caution.
He insisted that the perpetrators of the yet to be justified chase that led to Ajibola’s death should be apprehended and made to face the wrath of the law to serve as a deterrent.
Salam expressed surprise that 48 hours after the incident, no arrest had been made and warned that the matter should not be swept under the carpet.
Recall that  the police officers had allegedly chased four young men driving in a car along Osogbo East-West Bypass around 5:20 pm on Tuesday after they had been flagged down but allegedly refused to stop.
While insisting on the need to ensure justice, Salam noted:
“I have come to make a demand on the Osun State Government to set up a judicial panel of enquiry to investigate the unfortunate incident.
“Though the governor has said he was going to institute investigation, however, I think it should go beyond some investigation. There should be a public enquiry to probe the death of Idris Ajibola and the injuries of the other three young men.
 “I mean a judicial panel of enquiry that will sit publicly, take testimonies from members of the public and arrive at a judicious and judicial action.
“I’m also calling on the Inspector General of Police to immediately order the arrest of the men in the  patrol team to be prosecuted either for manslaughter or murder as the case may be within 7days.
“This is not the first time. There are countless cases of Nigerians being brutalised and oppressed by men in uniform. I am making an appeal that the IG should do the needful. If it were to be a son of a minister, even the president would have released a statement. This must not be swept under the carpet,” Salam stressed.
 “Idris Ajibola would have been 21 years  old in two weeks’ time. He was a young man who lived with his parents in their ramshackle house in Ofatedo.
“He was hoping that someday, he would  be a blessing to his family. Unfortunately, people who are armed with public funds vented their anger on him. The youths are picked upon by security operatives because they wear nice shoes, use nice phones and drive good cars. This must stop.
“This incident happened forty-eight hours ago, but there is no record of arrest of the perpetrators of the act. Osogbo is not bigger than New York or Johannesburg where a few hours after similar cases happen, suspects are arrested and paraded before the whole world.
Forty hours after, there is no record of anyone having been identified as being in that red Hilux van used to chase the young boys to that destructive end where one of them lost his life and three others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
“I feel that we should be the conscience of this society and arise to demand the police to be accountable. If we do not speak out, nothing may happen and this may continue.