Members
of the Oladele family in Jakpa Warri, Warri South Local Government Area of
Delta State has demanded for justice over the death of their son, Ajayi
Oladele, who was allegedly killed by soldiers of the 4 Mechanised Brigade in
Benin City, Edo State. The father of two, Oladele sustained multi-level
traumatic spinal cord injury as a result of the beating from the soldiers,
which resulted in his untimely death.
It was
gathered that soldiers arrested Oladele at his residence on May 8 under the
instructions of the commanding officer of the brigade’s military intelligence
group. He was arrested for allegedly collecting N1.5m from one Kayode Adeoye
since January to fund a commercial transaction that failed.
According
to reports, he was kept incommunicado with his mobile phones and other items in
his possession seized, while his legs were chained.
“He was
taken before the Commanding Officer of the Military Intelligence in the
Brigade, who told him that he must pay back the sum of N1.5m before his
release. Mrs. Esther Oladele was taken before the Commanding Officer of the
Intelligence Group where the Commanding Officer told her why her husband was
arrested. The Commanding Officer directed that she should go and source for the
N1.5m to pay the complainant to the release of her husband from their custody.
She was later allowed to see the husband in the hospital." a source said.
However,
Oladele in his dying state denied the allegations against him.
“Later,
Lt. Col. Yakubu directed Sgt. Hassan Hassan to release Mr. Oladele to his wife
on bail, after signing some bail bond with written undertakings that the
N1.5million would be paid. The said Sgt. Hassan Hassan later took them to the
military hospital where the late Oladele’s one leg was still chained to the
hospital bed in his dying condition."
“Mrs.
Esther pleaded that her hubby was in a terrible condition and that he should be
quickly rushed to his personal doctors who knows how to handle him in
Warri." the source said.
Medical
doctor of the military hospital issued a referral letter to the Central
Hospital in Warri. He could not move any of his two legs and one of his hands.
“It was
in this condition that Mr. Oladele was put in a vehicle and driven to Warri
just as the Commanding Officer instructed that Sgt. Hassan Hassan and the
Complainant, Kayode Adeosho with some soldiers stationed at the Effurun Army
Checkpoint should accompany the deceased to Warri for the purpose of
identifying Oladele’s address and the surety that took him on bail.
“The leader of the team stated that he had directives that he should be taken first to the residence of Oladele and the surety before going to the hospital. The soldiers spent almost two hours inspecting and taking pictures of the apartment of the deceased, while Oladele lay down in pains.
“The leader of the team stated that he had directives that he should be taken first to the residence of Oladele and the surety before going to the hospital. The soldiers spent almost two hours inspecting and taking pictures of the apartment of the deceased, while Oladele lay down in pains.
Upon
arrival to the hospital, he died. His remains was deposited at the Central
Hospital Morgue in Warri.
At a
press conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ Warri
Correspondents’ Chapel secretariat, Mr. Kunle Edun alleged that the spinal cord
of the late Otunba Ajayi Oladele may have been affected as a result of the
beating he received from the soldiers which eventually put him in a vegetable
state.
Edun who
is also the Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Nigerian Bar
Association, Warri Branch said:
"Our
client’s husband did not commit armed robbery, murder, kidnapping or any
offence at all. It is not the constitutional responsibility of the Army to
arrest, detain and/or investigate cases of debts or commercial transactions.”
He added
“it is very pathetic”, just as he vowed to institute a fundamental human
rights suit against the Nigerian Army.
Meanwhile,
the Warri Chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association has taken up the case,
promising to take legal action to get justice for the bereaved.
The
Public Relations Officer of the 4 Brigade, Baba Musa, said the incident was
being investigated.
“4 Brigade is aware of the matter, an investigation
has commenced, (and) as soon as the investigation is concluded, the outcome
will be made public. The Nigerian army will not condone misdemeanour amongst
its personnel,” he said.
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