A policeman, Sergeant Adeleke Ogunsola, was on Sunday hit to death while opening a gate at the former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel’s Asoludero residence in Sagamu.
Our correspondent gathered that Ogunsola was one of the police officers posted to the quarters of Daniel for security purpose.
It was gathered that the fatal accident occurred as the cop was opening the gate for Daniel’s driver.
It was, however, gathered that Daniel was not in the car when the incident happened.
A source told our correspondent that the gate suddenly “bounced back” while it was being opened by Sgt Leke and he was allegedly knocked down by the driver.
The policeman was, thereafter, rushed to a hospital where he was confirmed dead.
Police sources, who spoke with our correspondent, accused the state command of plots to sweep the incident under the carpet.
The cops, who did not want to be mentioned due to the sensitivity of the matter, expressed sadness that Ogunsola was turned to a gatekeeper instead of doing the job he was posted to do in Daniel’s house.
According to them, an officer was once ‘sent out’ of the building over his refusal to be reduced to a gatekeeper in police uniform.
“Why will an armed policeman be the one opening a gate? Why will politicians turn the police into their slaves? When an officer refused to be used as a gateman in the house, they called the DPO that he should change him and he was redeployed. A policeman bearing arm will be asked to open the gate; drivers, civilians and Daniel himself will be telling officers to open the gate. If there is a gatekeeper in that house, this will not happen. This was a man who left his home for work on Saturday morning, but he died in a mysterious circumstance.
“It is so unfortunate that our bosses in this job are not speaking the truth because of what they want to eat. Imagine, officers posted to Gbenga Daniel’s residence are paid N2,500 weekly. Now, that guy has died. What will he give to his family that will replicate the life of that officer? We are tired of this job,” the police sources said.
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident, describing it as an accident.
He said, “That was an accident. The gate he was opening bounced back and the driver mistakenly hit him with the gate. It’s an accident, it can happen to anybody.”
When asked if it is appropriate for a policeman to be opening a gate in a civilian’s house, Oyeyemi replied: “Well, we don’t know the circumstances that led him to open the gate. We were not with him on duty. It may be that the gate is of two arms, somebody will open the first arm, another person opens the other. It’s possible. If he’s not armed as of the time, he can help in opening the gate. But we were not there with him. We don’t know the circumstances that led to him opening the gate. It is an accident. It can happen to anybody.”
Oyeyemi, however, said the Ogun Command has sent a condolence message to the family of the deceased Sergeant Leke Ogunsola.
When contacted, a media aide to Gbenga Daniel, Steve Oliyide, promised to get back to our reporter, but he is yet to do so 24 hours after.
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