A Nigerian Army serviceman, Lance Corporal Ojo Tope, has met his demise in a calamitous collision in Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State. The lamentable event transpired around 10 pm on Wednesday.
Multiple sources relay that the deceased, attached to the 322 Artillery regiment in Benin City, was en route to confront officers who had purportedly detained his sibling unlawfully.
As recounted, officers affiliated with Ikere Area Command had allegedly detained Ojo’s brother without due cause. Following a telephonic exchange, Ojo was directed to present himself at their checkpoint and authenticate his soldierly identity.
A close kin of the deceased divulged, “A soldier (Ojo Tope) stationed in Benin City returned temporarily to Ikere Ekiti. At approximately 10 pm on Wednesday, he discovered the generator lacked fuel. Consequently, he dispatched his younger brother, who possessed a vehicle, to procure fuel for him.
“Regrettably, while en route to obtain the fuel, the young man encountered law enforcement officers on the road who purportedly detained him without justification. They interrogated his presence on the road at such an hour and demanded access to his mobile device, which he rebuffed.
“He beseeched them that his soldier sibling had dispatched him to purchase fuel, yet they adamantly refused release. Subsequently, he contacted the soldier to intervene with the officers, and one of them instructed him to rendezvous with them. Tragically, while en route to the checkpoint on a motorcycle, he met with an accident.
“After the collision, bystanders rushed him to where the officers had seized his brother’s vehicle, imploring them to release the vehicle so they could utilize it to transport the soldier to the state hospital in Ikere. However, they declined to release the vehicle.
“They eventually arranged for an alternative means of transportation to convey the soldier to the hospital. Unfortunately, before they could arrive at the hospital, the soldier succumbed to his injuries. His remains are currently in the morgue.”
The familial source relayed that upon learning of Ojo’s demise, some residents grew incensed and contemplated staging a protest against the officers’ conduct. Nevertheless, the family managed to pacify them.
Upon reaching out to the spokesperson for Ekiti State Police Command, DSP Sunday Abutu, he refuted the allegations levied against the officers regarding Ojo’s demise.
He stated, “These claims could be characterized as ‘fabrications’ as no such incident or report was filed at any of our stations across the state, including the headquarters.
“The only vehicle seized by our surveillance team from Ikere Area Command on Wednesday night was an unregistered Toyota Camry 2006 model car. The driver failed to produce documentation and could not satisfactorily demonstrate ownership of the vehicle, but he offered to retrieve the documents from home.
“To date, the driver has not presented the vehicle’s documents or reclaimed his vehicle. It’s worth noting that our surveillance teams do not establish checkpoints.
“No report of a soldier’s demise was submitted by any individual, family, or military authority in the state, whether at Ikere Area Command or any of our divisions or formations throughout the state recently, and no one has approached us seeking the release of the aforementioned Toyota Camry vehicle.”
“Nevertheless, individuals with genuine grievances regarding the conduct of our personnel are encouraged to approach the nearest police station, formation, the Public Relations Officer’s office, or the Commissioner of Police’s office for prompt and appropriate action,” Abutu added.
