Hunter mistakes friend for animal, shoots him dead

A hunter, Sikiru Osideko, has been arrested for allegedly shooting dead his friend, Segun Okusi, during a hunting expedition in Isara, in the Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun state.

Osideko, who was arrested on Thursday, July 30, told the police that he shot his friend in error, as he had mistaken him for a prey during the expedition.

Punch gathered that at about 4pm on Thursday, Osideko and Okusi, who were friends, as well as hunters, had gone on an expedition in a nearby bush.

It was learnt that about 30 minutes after they separated, Osideko reportedly noticed a movement in the bush and shot in the direction with his dane gun.

Okusi was said to have let out a sharp cry, which made the suspect to realise that he had shot at his friend.Osideko reportedly rushed to the place and tried to resuscitate his friend, but to no avail.

Our correspondent gathered that Okusi died on the spot.

A police source in the area told PUNCH Metro that the operatives visited the bush to take Okusi’s corpse to a mortuary.

He said, “Policemen from the Isara division visited the bush and found Okusi in a pool of blood. They took photographs and deposited the corpse in a mortuary.

“They arrested the suspect and seized the dane gun. The man has been taken to the state command headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta.“Such strange thing has not happened among hunters in this area. It was in the broad daylight.“It was another hunter, one John Oseni, who raised the alarm and reported the matter to the police.”

Our correspondent gathered that the matter had been transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation, where Osideko was reportedly assisting the police with investigations into the death of his friend.