Crimes

Senator: How soldiers killed my aide in Lagos

The senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Solomon Adeola, has accused soldiers of the Nigerian Army of killing his aide, Adeniyi Sanni.

Adeola had earlier disclosed that Sanni died in the early hours of Saturday, August 5, 2023, after the latter was stopped by security operatives at a checkpoint around the Ojodu-Berger area of Lagos on his way to his home at Isheri.

The deceased was said to have been asked to provide the documents of the car he was driving, which he did through a call to his wife, who sent all the documents to his phone through a WhatsApp message.

The remains of Sanni, ridden with bullets, were later discovered at the Toyota Bus Stop area of Oshodi, close to a military barrack.

Speaking on the circumstances surrounding Sanni’s death, Senator Adeola, in a statement issued by his media aide, Kayode Odunaro, on Monday, August 21, 2023, said his aide was killed by soldiers.

The senator noted that an investigation carried out by the police revealed that Sanni was killed by soldiers of 9 Brigade, Ikeja Cantonment of the Nigeria Army.

He stated that another resident was killed around the same Ojodu-Berger area of Lagos on Thursday, August 17.

He added that Sanni’s car, a black Toyota Camry, his phones, and other valuables were yet to be recovered.

The lawmaker said: “I am of the firm belief, based on available facts at the disposal of the police, that his aide was killed by a syndicate of soldiers operating under the newly deployed Commander of 9 Brigade, Ikeja Cantonment of the Nigeria Army, Brigadier General Nsikan Edet, through the mounting of checkpoints and robbing of lone occupants of cars.

“Top police sources familiar with the investigation informed me that a similar brutal killing and armed robbery occurred around the same Ojodu-Berger late Thursday night of August 17, 2023, resulting in the killing of another Nigerian whose body was discovered around Iyana-Ipaja after he was taken away by soldiers from the checkpoint.

“Unknown to the soldiers, the occupant of the car they killed and took away his car was the second car in a convoy of two heading towards the same destination.

“The first car passed the soldier’s checkpoint, but the second car was stopped to check his vehicle’s papers.

“On noticing the absence of the second car after a while, the occupant of the first car (name withheld) placed a call to his colleague in the second car, who informed him that he was being taken to Iyana Ipaja by the soldiers at the checkpoint.

“That was the last he heard from him, and his dead body was later discovered dumped on the road, just like Mr Sanni.

“The survivor in the first car reported the case to the police, and a pattern of armed robbery and killing in the area involving men in Army uniforms was established.”

Senator Adeola, therefore, called on the Chief of Army Staff, Maj. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, to direct the fishing out of the killers of his aide for further investigation and prosecution.

The Star