Police Commences Investigation into Ifo Violence

Nigeria Police Ogun State Command says it has commenced investigation into the alleged killing of a resident by suspected soldiers during a celebration in Isheri, Ifo Local Government area of the state. 

The command was reacting to the report of violence at Isheri Olofin, a border town between Lagos and Ogun State where soldiers had reportedly fired shots at residents of the town who were celebrating their annual “Isheri Day, leading to the death of a man. 

According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Bashir Makama had directed a thorough investigation of the “Isheri Day” shooting incident. 

Mr Abimbola maintained that the information gathered by the police indicated that a man, Damilare Adelani was killed during the shooting incident on Tuesday, 13th August, 2019 by suspected soldiers believed to have been posted to Kara market, from Ikeja Cantonment.

The PPRO said the command gathered that the four suspected soldiers who left their duty post for the venue of the celebration had reportedly killed one of the residents  while shooting sporadically following a minor disagreement with some youths in the area. 

He maintained that the incident infuriated the people at the scene, who reacted violently against the soldiers, leaving one of the soldiers and three other civilians injured. 

The Police spokesperson said the soldiers were also accused of stabbing another resident to death with the bayonet attached to the muzzle of a rifle when they took their injured colleague to a hospital. 

The PPRO explained that witnesses alleged that the soldiers had met one of the injured civilians being attended to by a medical doctor on duty and forced the doctor at gun-point, to leave the injured man and attend to their colleague. 

He said that the suspected soldiers allegedly dragged the patient out of the bed and subsequently stabbed him to death. 

Mr Abimbola explained that the Ogun State Police Command had contacted the military authorities in Ogun State and efforts were in place to ensure that the suspected killers were brought to book.

Oluremi Olugbenro