The 81 Division Nigerian Army on Sunday said it had commenced an investigation into the alleged killing of a driver in Lagos by suspected soldiers on Thursday.
While the details of the killing of the driver identified simply identified as Lawal were still sketchy, PUNCH Metro gathered that the driver was murdered by men in military uniform while on an inter-state delivery en route to Abuja.
A source disclosed to PUNCH Metro that the incident happened when Lawal was stopped by the uniformed men at a yet-to-be-confirmed location and was taken to the Iyana Ipaja area of Lagos where he was reportedly shot dead.
The deceased was said to have been stopped while on his way to deliver a car to its owner in Abuja.
His friend who was said to be driving ahead of him was said to have witnessed the incident and reported to the police.
The said soldiers allegedly told Lawal that they were taking him to their barracks only to move him to Iyana Ipaja around the exit of Lagos, where they shot him dead and threw his body into a bush.
Reacting to the incident in a statement, the spokesperson for the 81 Division Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, said the army was probing into “an alleged killing of one Mr Lawal who was said to have been killed by some persons in military uniform on August 17, 2023.
“In as much as information into the allegation is still scanty at the moment, being a responsible organisation, Headquarters 81 Division Nigerian Army considers it appropriate to bring the occurrence to public notice and the steps taken to identify the alleged persons in military uniform, believed to be soldiers and bring them to justice if truly they are serving soldiers.
“The Division is currently investigating in conjunction with the Nigerian Police, Lagos State Command, to unravel the identity of the alleged suspects and the circumstances surrounding the alleged unfortunate incident. At the end of the investigation, if the suspects are identified as serving soldiers, they will be made to face the full wrath of both military and civil laws.”
Ayeni said while the matter was under investigation, the Army requested the family of the deceased to exercise patience and wait for the outcome of the investigation as whoever was found wanting would be made to face disciplinary action.
“The Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for troops’ misconduct or involvement of its personnel in any form of criminality, hence, will not allow this allegation to go unravelled.
“Consequently, the General Officer Commanding 81 Division NA, Maj Gen MT Usman, commiserates with the family of the victim while promising that justice would be served accordingly. He assures the family of the deceased that whosoever killed their loved one will not be allowed to go unpunished,” he added.
