Pandemonium broke out in Owode, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State when some men suspected to be soldiers of the Nigerian Army shot and killed two siblings for allegedly smuggling foreign rice.
The News Agency of Nigeria gathered that the incident, which happened on Sunday, angered the youth of the area who blocked the Sango-Idiroko international road in protest.
The mob reportedly attacked an officer of the Nigerian Air Force and killed him in retaliation.
It was gathered that trouble started when the men accosted the elder brother in an attempt to seize his vehicle which carried bags of foreign parboiled rice.
According to a source, in the course of the altercation between the man and the suspected soldiers, some people called his younger brother, popularly known as Saheed Elegusi.
“Saheed rushed to the scene and the two of them were shot dead by the soldiers. We don’t know when soldiers became customs officers,” the source said.
It was gathered that the suspected soldiers immediately fled the scene after shooting the siblings.
The mob had set bonfires on the Sango-Idiroko road, affecting vehicular movements for hours.
Confirming the incident to newsmen in Abeokuta on Monday, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the slain Air Force officer was in uniform when he unknowingly ran into the mob who lynched him.
“Yes, the incident happened yesterday. I think it was caused by an argument between them (the two brothers) and men of the Nigerian Army. We are still investigating.
“But do you know that the people killed an Air Force officer who was just passing on his own?
“He was just going on his own, he had nothing to do with the crisis. They just mobbed him and killed him because he was in uniform.
“Anyway, investigation is ongoing,” he said.
Oyeyemi explained that the Commissioner of Police had directed the Homicide section to take over the matter.
“The situation has been brought under control. The area is calm now. The Divisional Police Officer of Owode and some other policemen were able to move into the scene quickly,” he said.
NAN
