Hunter mistakenly shot dead by Colleague inside forest
A hunting expedition ended in tragedy when a hunter, Sunday Ijiola, was allegedly shot dead by his colleague, Atanda Agbobiado, in a forest at Pakoyi, near Owode Ketu, Yewa North Area of Ogun State.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, as about fifteen hunters ventured into the forest. The hunters had separated to prevent their prey from escaping.
According to PUNCH Metro, a police source revealed on Sunday that the 43-year-old deceased was mistaken for the bear they were pursuing.
The officer said, “It was said that a group of hunters from Owode-Apesin village, consisting of about 15 people, went to the forest to go about their hunting activities, and then saw a big deer in the forest.
“They decided to make it their target and noticed it was gradually disappearing from their view, so they decided to strategically hunt it by double-crossing the fleeing animal.”
Agbobiado shot at the prey while pursuing it, but his colleagues were shocked to find that he had accidentally shot a fellow hunter. The victim died while being transported to a hospital for treatment.
Realizing the fatal mistake, Agbobiado fled the scene. The victim’s grieving family reported the incident to the Eggua Police Division.
Ogun Police Command spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident and stated that an investigation into the hunter’s death is underway.
She said, “We are currently investigating the scene of the crime, as our operatives have visited there and also taken photographs of the corpse. Efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspect.
“The father of the victim has requested that an autopsy be conducted and also requested that the body of the victim be released to him in line with the traditional rites. The case file with parties will be transferred to the state criminal investigation department for further investigation.”
Recall that a similar occurrence on May 2, 2023, when fellow hunters unintentionally shot and killed a colleague as they were hunting in a scrub in the state’s Odeda district on April 20.
The incident, allegedly threw the Egba Hunters Association, a group the deceased belonged to, into confusion.
