A 35-year old hunter, Olasunkanmi Olakiye, in a hunting expedition with his colleagues have been accidentally shot dead by another hunter.
The victim, who was a member of the Egba Hunters Association, was said to have been shot dead in Odeda forest when his unidentified colleague, targeting an antelope accidentally misfired and killed him.
The leader of the hunters ‘ association in Egba, Alao Yusuf, who confirmed the incident to newsmen in Abeokuta, said the incident happened on April 20.
According to Yusuf, the group members who were with the deceased showed that he was accidentally shot by a team member when they were making attempts to kill an antelope in the bush.
Yusuf, who disclosed that the group could not save Olakiye’s life after the incident, said he was pronounced dead at the hospital where he was rushed to.
He further disclosed that the incident had been reported to the police, saying the family of the deceased decided not to press charges.
He said: “I was told that they went to the bush for hunting and that the antelope that was shot died but the bullet hit Olakiye. Immediately, they said that he was rushed to a hospital, but before they got there, he was already dead.
“The matter was reported at the Odeda Police Station and even Olakiye’s brothers were part of the hunting expedition. Olakiye’s family decided not to press charges because they said it was an accidental discharge that claimed the life of their kinsman.”
One of the deceased’s colleague and a member of a vigilante group in the state, Alabi Adesina, who also confirmed the incident, said: “When we heard what happened, we quickly called the police to inform them of the incident. We would always report issues like this because, under the law, nothing of these kinds should be overlooked.”
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Command’s spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, also confirmed incident to newsmen, saying though the deceased’s family is not pressing any charges, the police still did their work and discovered that it was a case of accidental discharge.
According to him: “I am aware of the matter. All of them are hunters. One of them shot at an animal and the bullet hit one of their members (Olakiye).
“They reported the matter at the Odeda Police Station. We investigated and discovered that it was a case of an accidental discharge.
“The family of the dead man said they would not press charges since it was not a case of intentional killing. But we did our work properly and we are still on the matter. As we speak, an investigation on the matter is on.”
