Oyo Police Suspected Abduction and Shot a Potential Victim. Here’s What Rules of Engagement Say

On Tuesday, the Oyo State Police Command became embroiled in a deadly scandal after one of its officers shot 14-year-old Kehinde Alade dead during a traffic enforcement operation.

The tragic incident, which occurred along the Airport Roundabout in the Gbagi area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, took place during a joint operation involving the police and the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA).

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In a statement issued by the Oyo Police Command, it explained that Odunayo Alade, the father of the deceased teenager, was found to be driving against traffic (one-way) and refused to comply with lawful orders to stop.

The police stated that officers suspected possible criminal activity or a case of abduction because the driver evaded arrest, prompting a police corporal to discharge a firearm “aimed at the tyres”. (The police attached a deceptive video to their statement. While the video appears to confirm the driver’s erratic actions, parts where the police corporal shot at the vehicle without giving the driver a warning or chance to surrender were cut out).

However, the corporal did not hit the tyre. Instead, he struck a young boy who was on his way to sit the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), organised by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

Many observers are baffled, not only as to why a trained policeman would aim at a tyre (near the ground) and end up hitting someone seated inside the car (well above ground), but also why a shot was fired at a vehicle suspected to contain a kidnap victim.

According to the police statement, the officers believed the driver might have abducted the passenger. This raises questions about why one of the officers would shoot at such a vehicle and jeopardise the safety of a potential victim.

What do the Police Rules of Engagement say?

The Revised Force Order 237 (RFO), which defines the Rules of Engagement (RoE) of the Nigeria Police Force, provides that a police officer may use their firearm under only five specific circumstances.

None of these five circumstances directly addresses a situation where a police officer is chasing a fleeing driver who had not previously been arrested, suspected, or accused of a crime.

The RoE, however, clearly states that “firearms must only be used as a last resort.”

Section 3(e) of the RFO comes closest to addressing the incident involving Alabi, the driver of the vehicle in question and father of the deceased.

The section states that a police officer may use firearms “if he [or she] cannot by any other means arrest a person who takes to flight in order to avoid arrest, provided the offence is such that the accused may be punished with death or imprisonment for 7 years or more.”

An explanation of the section notes that it “covers the case where a fugitive has not been in lawful custody and takes to flight in order to avoid arrest in the first instance.

“The fugitive may then only be fired upon when the offence is punishable by 7 years or more. As in the previous case, i.e. escaping from lawful custody, firearms should only be used if there are no other means of effecting his arrest, and the circumstances are such that his subsequent arrest is unlikely.

“A constable who cannot effect such a criminal’s arrest by any other means should warn the criminal that unless he stops and surrenders, he will fire upon him. If the criminal fails to stop, the constable is then justified in firing at the criminal.”

But Why Suspect an Abduction — and Then Shoot?

The actions of the police corporal who shot at the vehicle and killed a teenage boy were in clear violation of the Nigeria Police Force’s Rules of Engagement, as outlined in the RFO.

The order provides strict guidance on the use of firearms, stating clearly that they must only be used as a last resort and under five specific circumstances.

None of these directly apply to the situation involving Alabi and his son, as there was no arrest, formal accusation, or confirmed commission of a crime at the time the officers engaged in the pursuit.

Section 3(e) of the RFO comes closest to addressing such a situation, allowing for the use of firearms if a person takes to flight in order to evade arrest, but only under very specific conditions.

First, the suspected offence must be punishable by death or imprisonment of seven years or more. Second, the officer must have no other means of arresting the suspect. Third, the circumstances must make it unlikely that the suspect can be arrested later.

Finally, even under these extreme conditions, the officer must issue a clear warning to the fleeing suspect, giving them a chance to surrender before any shots are fired.

In the incident involving Alabi, there is no evidence that any of these critical conditions were met.

In an interview, the victim’s father, who drove the vehicle, said he did not know that the police were involved in the traffic enforcement operation, saying he thought OYRTMA was the only party after him.

Odunayo Alade breaking through the Oyo Police and OYTMA barricades in an attempt to evade arrest before his son was shot dead in the Gbagi area of Ibadan, Oyo State

A video, which captured the incident, also shows no signs of a police warning. The police corporal shot at the vehicle just as the vehicle fled the scene of the barricade.

The so-called suspicion of kidnapping was not substantiated before the use of deadly force, nor was there confirmation that any serious crime, let alone one punishable by seven years or more, had been committed.

The officer did not exhaust non-lethal means to stop the vehicle and there is no indication that any warning was given before firing.

Moreover, the use of a firearm in this context, without regard for the presence of a child in the vehicle, reflects a reckless disregard for life and a complete abandonment of the principles of proportionality and necessity enshrined in the NPF rules of engagement.

By firing into a moving vehicle based on a mere suspicion, without certainty, without a proper threat assessment, and without exhausting alternative means, the corporal acted outside the scope of lawful police conduct.

The RFO is clear: deadly force is a measure of last resort, not a tool for speculative action.

The killing of the child under these circumstances is not only tragic but a clear breach of the very guidelines meant to protect lives and ensure responsible policing.

Additionally, shooting at a moving vehicle, even with the intent to immobilise it, is extremely risky, particularly in a populated area such as Gbagi. The fact that the bullet struck a passenger rather than the tyre indicates a shocking failure in precision, training, or adherence to protocol.

Many critics have argued that, if the police genuinely believed a kidnapping was underway, their priority should have been to protect potential victims, not to endanger their lives with gunfire.

The use of firearms in a traffic enforcement operation, even one involving a non-compliant driver, also shows a lack of clear operational guidelines or inadequate training in de-escalation techniques.

Background

The police stated that the incident began when a black Honda Accord, driven by Alade, was flagged for driving against traffic.

Instead of complying with orders to stop the car, the driver allegedly accelerated towards the enforcement team, colliding with two OYRTMA vehicles and a police patrol truck.

The police claimed that the driver’s reckless behaviour, including breaching barricades, led them to suspect possible criminal activity, such as abduction.

In an attempt to stop the vehicle, a police corporal fired at the tyres, but the bullet tragically struck Kehinde Alade, who was seated in the rear of the vehicle.

Despite being rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH), the boy was pronounced dead on arrival.

This deadly incident is just the latest in a series of fatal police shootings across the country.

The police have since launched an investigation, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID).

The corporal who discharged the firearm is in custody, and the Commissioner of Police, CP Johnson Adenola, has promised transparency and accountability.

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It remains to be seen whether the police will address the lapses in their enforcement protocols and deliver meaningful accountability.

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