The soldier, who was reportedly stabbed to death by a policeman around the Odongunyan area near Ikorodu in Lagos on Wednesday, has been buried.
The slain soldier attached to the 174 Battalion of the Nigerian Army Odongunyan was identified as Corporal Saheed Ogunlowo.
PUNCH Metro reports that Ogunlowo was reportedly stabbed to death by a police corporal around Odongunyan Bus Stop during a disagreement.
Soldiers avenging the killing of their colleague by the policeman said to be attached to the Police Mobile Force thereafter reportedly stormed the nearby Ogijo Police Division in Ogun State and burnt down two vehicles and an Armoured Personnel Carrier in front of the station.
The military authorities have, however, exonerated their men of the attack, attributing it to a mob.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the remains of the slain soldier were buried in Lagos on Thursday.
Shortly after the burial, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa; the Commander, 9 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Isangubong Akpaumontia; and the Commanding Officer, 174 Battalion, Lt.- Col. Muhammad Abdurrahman, visited the police station for an on-the-spot assessment.
They later visited Abdurrahman’s office and the slain soldier’s widow inside the barracks of the 174 Battalion.
At Abdurrahman’s office, the police commissioner said, “The incident is condemnable and we condemn it in its entirety.”
The Commanding Officer said as of the time he got to the police station, he saw burnt vehicles outside and two suspects said to have been caught looting.
In a series of tweets on his Twitter handle on Thursday, the spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the meeting of Akpaumontia and Idowu concerning the “unfortunate death of a soldier at Ikorodu axis” as well as their condolence visit to Abdurrahman.
Contacted, the Ogun State PPRO, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said both police and military authorities were looking into the matter.
“The clash that you talked about happened in Lagos and not in Ogun State. But one thing is that both the police and military would handle it to avert such incident in future,” he said.
Damage control
A top police source who did not want his name in print because he was not authorised to speak to journalists on the matter told PUNCH Metro that the leaderships of the police and the military were committed to managing the crisis to prevent escalation.
He said, “We have resolved to refrain from statements that are capable of escalating the crisis.
“In a few days, soldiers and policemen will be working together to ensure that the nation has hitch-free elections. It is therefore our responsibility to ensure that cordial relationship exists among these men for them to perform their constitutional role well. The issue is being settled amicably.”
Nigerian Army speaks
Military authorities, in a statement on Thursday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Lt.- Col. Olabisi Ayeni, attributed the attack on the Ogijo Police Division to an angry mob who they said witnessed the incident that led to the death of the soldier and took advantage of it to attack the station.
The statement was titled, “Murder of a soldier: Angry crowd attacks police station.”
Explaining what transpired, Ayeni said the slain soldier was trying to confirm the identity of an improperly dressed policeman who was standing by the soldiers’ vehicle.
He said the incident degenerated into a fight and subsequently led to the soldier’s death.
He added that the policeman, whose identity was not disclosed, had been arrested and kept in military custody for safety, adding that he would be handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for prosecution.
Ayeni said, “The victim confronted the suspect who was not properly dressed and standing very close to the Patrol Vehicle of Operation MESA to confirm his identity.
“This led to an argument and subsequently, the unfortunate incident. The soldier was immediately rushed to the Lagos State Polytechnic Hospital, Odongunyan, for medical attention, but he was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.
“The remains of the soldier have been moved to 174 Battalion Medical Centre in Ikorodu. The suspect has also since been arrested and kept in military custody for his safety and subsequent hand over to Nigeria Police for prosecution.”
Anxiety grips residents
One of our correspondents who visited the Ogijo area on Thursday reported that despite the security beef-up in the area, there was still anxiety among residents.
He also noticed residents still gathering in groups to discuss the incident.
He also saw the burnt remains of an APC, two patrol vans and a motorcycle.
A watch repairer, Kunle Thomas, whose shop is not far from the station, in an interview with PUNCH Metro, said, “Around 6.30pm, we heard that there was trouble at Odongunyan but later, soldiers came to Ogijo Police Station and they and policemen started to shoot. Aside from guns, the soldiers came with cutlasses and daggers. Everybody ran because they started to burn vehicles.”
Lawyer speaks
Speaking on the incident, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, called for proper synergy among security agencies .
He said, “There should be synergy among all security agencies because their primary duty is the protection of the life and property of the citizens. All these petty issues and egos should not even be heard at all because they have to be professional always. This shows a failure of leadership.
“This kind of thing is not new and it is time and the proper thing should be done to avert a future occurrence. Efforts should be made by the relevant authorities to synergise our military, police and other security agencies to work in a symbiotic manner. They should be coordinated to function together peacefully. It is for the good of our society.”
