A 35-year-old Ogun State-based hunter, Olasunkanmi Olakiye, has been accidentally shot dead by his colleague on April 20, when they were on a hunting expedition in a bush in the Odeda area of the state.
Members of the family of the deceased hunter and the Egba Hunters Association, a group he belonged to, have been into mourning following the incident.
The incident was confirmed on Monday by the group’s leader, Alao Yusuf, who said the hunters were trying to kill an antelope in the bush when the deceased was mistaken for the animal.
He added that all efforts to save the deceased’s life was futile as he was pronounced dead at the hospital where he was rushed to.
The bereaved family, however, insisted they were not pressing charges, although the matter was reported at a police station.
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 the hospital but that before they got there, he was already dead.
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“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.”
Also confirming the incident, a member of a vigilante group in the state, Alabi Adesina, expressed sadness but added, “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”.
Efforts to talk to any member of the deceased’s family did not yield results as of the time of filing this report.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the development.
Oyeyemi said the police still did their work and discovered that it was a case of accidental discharge.
The PPRO said, “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.”