A police officer reportedly opened fire at a hotel bar where people were watching a football match on Saturday, killing a young man who was drinking beer with his friend.

The victim, Olaoye Abayomi, was with his friend, Idris Adebayo, at Queens Court Hotel bar at Ologede area in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, when four police officers arrived at the scene with a vehicle carrying “PF 600 – WSH” number plate.

The officer allegedly alighted from the vehicle and shot towards the direction of the crowd.

A bullet hit Mr. Abayomi in the stomach while his friend, Mr. Adebayo, also reportedly sustained a bullet wound on the leg.

Witnesses told Newsmen that Mr. Abayomi died instantly but Mr. Adebayo was rushed to hospital by other police officers at the scene. The officer who fired the shots according to our sources ran away.

The incident happened around 9:30 p.m, during a football match between Manchester United and West Brom.

“I went to watch a football match at Queens Court at Ologede area in Ado Ekiti when the incident occurred around 9:30 p.m,” a witness, Adetunji Olaniyi, told Newsmen on Sunday morning.

“The police drove into the hotel as people were watching football and drinking. All of a sudden, we heard gunshots, and those of us watching football scattered in an attempt to run away for our lives.

“Before we could know what happened, we saw that police that entered have shot at people drinking, killing one person while the other was brutally injured on the leg”.

Seun Olaifa, another eyewitness, told Newsmen that the atmosphere was calm and police should not have shot at peaceful citizens.

“They came in their usual way looking for who to raid and all we heard was gunshots and the perpetrator immediately ran leaving his colleagues who took the injured person to the hospital.”

Asked if there was an incident that necessitated shooting, Mr. Olaifa simply said: “the police officer shot anyhow. There was no incident that warrants shooting. People were drinking and watching football”.

While a source said the incident happened when the policemen, numbering about five, attempted to give a retired senior officer compliment, another said the cops were in a joyous mood, chanting and shooting in the air when the two victims were hit by bullets.

A source said, “The policemen came into the hotel with one retired senior police officer. They were up to five in number. As they were gyrating inside the hotel, they shot in the air. Two persons were hit by bullets in the process. Two of the policemen took the victims from the hotel in their Hilux van to the hospital.”

On realizing that one of the victims had died, the policemen were alleged to have, on arrival at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, bolted, leaving the corpse, the injured man, and the van.

Other witnesses told Newsmen that the killing led to outrage in the community but was contained by police officers in the area.

The state police command spokesperson, Sunday Abutu, confirmed the incident. He, however, told PREMIUM TIMES that the officer who fired the gunshot has been apprehended.

“The policeman who was involved in the fatal shooting at Queens Court Hotel for the reason which is still under investigation has been arrested by Ekiti State police command, disarmed and detained for investigation and disciplinary action.”

“Ekiti State Police Commissioner implores all the good people of Ekiti State to be calm as he will ensure justice prevails”, he said in a text message to our correspondent.

“The state Commissioner of Police, Tunde Mobayo, has ordered a thorough investigation into the incident and that we have commenced.”

This incident comes weeks after angry youth protested across Nigeria against police brutality, extortion, assault, and extrajudicial killings.

Following the protests, the federal government asked state governments to set up judicial panels of inquiry to investigate abuses by the police.

At the panels attended by Newsmen, Nigerians have been narrating various atrocities, allegedly committed by police officers across the country.