A Nigerian police inspector, Ajele Oloyede, died last Thursday after allegedly being shot by a fellow officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Tolorunloju Stephen, at a ceramics company in Igbesa, Ogun State.
Multiple sources within the Ogun State Police Command confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters, highlighting troubling inconsistencies in the official account.
An audio recording obtained by SaharaReporters between senior police officers suggests that authorities may be attempting to cover up the truth and falsely present the incident as a suicide.
In the leaked audio, a police officer familiar with the case rejected the claim that Ajele took his own life.
“We don’t know what happened between him and that ASP (Tolorunloju Stephen). That ASP used his pistol to fire Ajele instantly. But he denied it. Even the CP (Commissioner of Police) and DCI Mopol were telling him, ‘My friend, just tell us the truth. Either you killed him by mistake or intentionally. So tell us the truth, how did you kill Ajele?’”
The officer continued: “What they sent to AIG Mopol was that Ajele killed himself where he was working. We told the AIG that it is not like that. Ajele went out with proper permission. It was the ASP that used his pistol to fire Ajele.
“So how come Ajele had a rifle to kill himself as they claimed? We told the CP, ‘Oga, Ajele never went out with a rifle. His rifle was with us. His uniform, his shoes, everything was with us. He took proper permission, and we booked him before he left that day.’”
The source stated that documented evidence of Ajele’s movements directly contradicts the official suicide narrative.
Another officer also disclosed that ASP Tolorunloju Stephen, who is attached to the Force Headquarters Annex in Lagos but currently deployed to a ceramics company in Sango-Ota, Ogun State, is the prime suspect.
“It was not suicide. The bullet penetration does not suggest suicide. If it were, he would have shot himself in the head,” a source stated.
The officer questioned the motive behind the killing.
“Ajele was attached to Golden Crown Company, almost the same compound as the ceramics company. Only God knows why he killed him. But I strongly believe it might have involved some deals,” the source added.
He also revealed that after the shooting, ASP Stephen was the one who raised the alarm, likely in an attempt to manipulate the narrative.
“That was what the ASP did; immediately after committing the atrocity, he was the one who called others. Now, an investigation is ongoing, but if care is not taken, it will likely be swept under the rug. Yes, because such an ASP should already be under detention!”
The Ogun State Police Command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, initially told journalists that Ajele had committed suicide. She claimed the incident was discovered by ASP Tolorunloju Stephen, who returned from Ikeja around 1:20 p.m. and found Ajele resting his head on a table.
“When asked about his well-being, Oloyede assured him that he was fine. After exchanging greetings, Stephen placed his bag and pistol on the table before stepping into the restroom,” Odutola stated.
According to her, a gunshot was heard moments later, and Stephen allegedly found Ajele lying in a pool of blood.
“With the help of private security personnel, the wounded officer was immediately taken to the Ota General Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead by the doctor on duty,” she added.
However, in an exclusive interview with SaharaReporters on Tuesday, Odutola walked back her earlier statement, admitting that it was based on preliminary findings and not the final conclusion.
“The report (of suicide) was given at the preliminary level of investigation. When a crime happens, the first thing we do is gather information from the first respondent. That was the narration given by the only person there (ASP Stephen),” she said.
Odutola claimed that a full forensic investigation was now underway.
“You should exercise a little patience. The case has left the divisional level and is now at the state headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta.
“This is where we will conduct a holistic examination—autopsy, forensic evidence, and witness accounts. A police officer has died, and someone has given an account, but we need to crosscheck everything. Is there a camera at the scene? These are the things we are looking into before issuing another press release.”
Despite Odutola’s assurances, insiders within the police force believe there is a deliberate attempt to shield ASP Stephen from accountability.
One officer stated bluntly: “Instead of that ASP to just admit, ‘Oga, I killed him, but it was a mistake,’ he is denying it.
Even the CP asked him to tell the truth. However, instead, they plan to dismiss Ajele posthumously to tarnish his name and cover their tracks. We won’t allow it!”
Another officer questioned why Stephen had not been detained.
“If it were a junior officer who fired that shot, he would have been behind bars by now. But this ASP is walking free. Why?”
Colleagues and friends of the deceased inspector dismissed the idea that he took his own life, describing him as a responsible officer who had no reason to commit suicide.
“How can someone who owned three plots of land and had built a house just wake up one day and kill himself? Let us be reasonable—we are all human beings!” a senior officer fumed.
Another officer disclosed that a colleague had been punished for standing by the truth.
“The officer was issued a query over this, accused of ‘lack of supervision’ and ‘insubordination.’ But he defended himself; he explained that he granted the deceased permission to leave after his night duty to visit his family. He insisted that he had the authority to permit him to see his family!”
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