An operative of the Ogun State So-Safe Corps has been shot dead in the course of tracking suspected criminal elements in Sagamu, after Tuesday midnight.

The officer, Jimi Ogunjimi at about 1 am on Wednesday, had led five other operatives in a patrol van on a surveillance of Areke, one of the dark spots in the town.

The commander of the security agency, Soji Ganzallo, in a statement by the spokesman, Moruf Yusuf, said that a few minutes after they kept vigil in the community, they spotted a white Hilux Pick Up van without registration number.

Ganzallo said the Hilux van refused an order by the patrol to stop and zoomed off, and it was followed to a place in front of Walex hotel in the area.

According to him, the criminal elements in the Hulux van suspecting that the operatives wanted to foil their planned operation, suddenly turned back and opened gunfire on them.

He said that officer Ogunjinmi died in a hail of bullets fired at their patrol van by the criminals who managed to escape from the scene.

Ganzallo said residents of Areke community had trooped out in thousand since the shooting incident to commend the slain officer for checkmating the activities of criminals in the area.

The late officer, according to him, is survived by an aged mother, wife and a male child.

YOU CAN ALSO READ: ANOTHER SUSPECTED KIDNAPPER HELD WITH STOLEN CHILD NEAR ABEOKUTA