The Oyo State Police Command has said forensic investigations found no evidence linking two police officers or their rifles to the 2021 shooting of Nurudeen Azeez in Ibadan.

The Command made the clarification on Saturday following the resurfacing of allegations in a viral video and newspaper publication that Azeez was shot by officers attached to the Agodi Divisional Police Headquarters, Ibadan, on August 16, 2021.

In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olayinka Ayanlade, the Command said the allegation had been investigated and concluded in 2021, with forensic evidence failing to establish any connection between the police firearms and the injury sustained by Azeez.

According to the Command, Inspector Gbenga Ayodele and Sergeant Ayilaran Boluwaji, who were on night-duty pin-down at the vicinity of a hotel, Ikolaba, Ibadan, on the night of the incident, were alerted by a motorist who reported being pursued by armed robbers.

It said shortly afterwards, gunshots were heard from the direction of another hotel, prompting the officers to move towards the area to assess the situation.

The Command said a locally fabricated pistol was subsequently recovered during a forensic sweep of the scene.

It added that investigators were informed that a pillion rider had been shot and taken to a hospital at Idi-Ape, by members of the public before he was later transferred to Kehinde Ege Traditional Hospital, Asanke, Idi-Aro, Ibadan, where pellets were extracted from his body.

The police said Azeez’s elder brother, Nurudeen Musa, told investigators that he witnessed the removal of the projectiles, with 15 pellets reportedly removed, 13 documented and six registered as exhibits.

The two police officers alleged to have shot Azeez were subsequently investigated, while their duty and firearm records were obtained.

The Command said the records showed that the officers had signed out two AK-47 rifles for their assignment that night.

However, forensic examination of the two rifles, according to the police, established that neither weapon had been fired in connection with the incident.

It also stated that the pellets extracted from Azeez’s body were not consistent with AK-47 ammunition.

“There was therefore no ballistic or forensic evidence linking either police firearm to the injury sustained by the victim,” the statement said.

The Command disclosed that the locally fabricated pistol recovered at the scene was also subjected to forensic examination and showed characteristics consistent with recent discharge.

It, however, stressed that the finding did not establish who fired the weapon.

The police therefore said the investigation concluded that the allegation that either of the two officers shot Azeez was not substantiated, although the victim sustained a genuine gunshot injury.

“While the victim sustained a genuine gunshot injury, the evidence available did not establish the identity of the person responsible for the shooting,” the Command said.

It urged members of the public, media practitioners and social media users to exercise caution when reporting or sharing allegations, particularly where the findings of concluded investigations are available.