A United States Professor and politician, Richard Adeoriokin, has been accidentally shot dead by a local security guard in Ejigbo, Osun State.
The incident occurred around 8:30 pm on Saturday, following a public function on Inisha Road of Ejigbo, which was attended by Professor Adeoriokin, his political associates, and Oyeyode Oyesosin, the son of the Ogiyan of Ejigbo.
After the event at the king’s residence, Oyeyode Oyesosin invited his friends to his house for a brief meeting.
As the guests prepared to leave, he ordered the security guard to fire gunshots into the air as a farewell gesture. Tragically, one of the security guard’s guns was mistakenly aimed downward, and the bullet struck Professor Adeoriokin in the leg. Despite efforts to rush him to the hospital, he succumbed to his injuries at the Baptist hospital in Ejigbo.
Afeez Lawal, Professor Richard’s personal assistant, who witnessed the incident, shared that his boss was a lecturer at Prairie View A&M University in Houston, Texas, and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The professor had attended a ceremony where Governor Ademola Adeleke was conferred with a chieftaincy title earlier that day.
The remains of Professor Adeoriokin have been deposited in the Osun State University Teaching Hospital Morgue.
Governor Ademola Adeleke has ordered a thorough investigation into the killing of Dr. Adeoriokin and the subsequent killing of the security guard. He has also instructed the State Police Command to issue guidelines on the usage of local guns to enhance citizen safety, especially at public functions.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) through its state chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, expressed condolences over the tragic incident and urged the Police Authority to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
