Adejoke Adeleye ,Abeokuta
The 81 Division of the Nigerian Army and the Ogun State Police Command have disagreed over alleged killing of three people in Isheri, Ogun State by soldiers on Tuesday.
Ogun Commissioner of Police, CP Bashir Makama, has already ordered a full scale investigation into the shooting incident by soldiers believed to be from Ikeja Cantonment of the Nigerian Army, with a view to bringing the suspects to justice.
In a press statement on Wednesday, the Ogun Police Command was empathic that the killings were carried out by rogue soldiers.
“Credible Information at the disposal of the Command has it that on the said date, Four (4) men of the Nigerian Army believed to be from Ikeja Cantonment and posted to Kara Market, left their beats and went to Isheri Olofin, a border town between Lagos and Ogun State where the indigenes of the town were celebrating their annual “Isheri Day”.
“The soldiers, on getting there, had a minor disagreement with some youths which made the soldiers to start shooting sporadically into the air.
“Consequently, one Damilare Adelani was hit by bullets and died on the spot. The ugly incident infuriated the people at the scene who in turn reacted violently against the soldiers leaving one of the soldiers and three other civilians injured.
“The soldiers quickly took their injured colleague to a hospital (name with-held) where they met one of the injured civilians being attended to by a Medical Doctor on duty.
“The statement from the officials of the hospital reveals that the soldiers ordered the Doctor on gun-point, to leave the injured man and attend to their colleague.
“They then dragged the patient out of the bed and subsequently stabbed him to death with a Bayonet attached to the muzzle of his rifle,” the Police Command said.
The Command added that it had already contacted the military authorities to ensure that the suspected killer(s) are brought to book.
But the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army on Wednesday declared that no one was killed by its patrol team at Isheri Olofin Community in the state.
The Army Spokesperson, Lt.-Col. Olaolu Daudu, made the clarification in a statement that there was no firing by the soldiers on patrol in the community.
Daudu said: “The attention of the Division has been drawn to a story insinuating that soldiers of 9 Brigade on patrol were involved in the killing of three people in Isheri Olofin Community on Aug. 13.
“The Division hereby states that the patrol team, in response to a distress call, made a prompt intervention to forestall bloody clash among the ‘Isheri boys”.
“These Isheri boys are allegedly referred to as a dangerous cult group terrorising the community,” he said.
Daudu said it was important to also state that there was no firing or exchange of fire between the patrol team and the boys.
According to him, there was no exchange of fire between the alleged cult group and the patrol team throughout the period of the intervention.
“However, one of our soldiers got a deep cut on the head arising from the team’s efforts to avert lethal conflict in the community,” Daudu said.
He said the wounded was taken to the Gentalbert Hospital for first aid treatment from where he was subsequently transferred to the Military Hospital.
“He is responding to treatment at the moment and peace has since been restored to the affected area.
“Members of the public are requested to disregard the news indicating the so called killing of three people in the area.
“The news is baseless and is therefore fake.
“The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. JO Irefin, once again assures the public of the resolve to protect lives and property of all law abiding citizens of the state and environs.
“He urged the people to continue with their legitimate routine activities unhindered,” the GOC said in the statement.