Matilda Omonaiye/
Soldiers illegally stationed at Kara market in Ogun State left the post to attend a nearby community festival, where they got into a fight, killed two persons and injured several others, police authorities revealed today.
According to the police, when the soldiers took a colleague injured in the fracas to a nearby hospital, they found one of the civilians they had fought receiving treatment and they ordered the doctor out at gunpoint, then stabbed the patient to death.
The police described the jungle scenario in a statement issued today by the spokesman, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi.
The statement reads in full:
“CP ORDERS INVESTIGATIONS INTO “ISHERI-Day” SHOOTINGS IN OGUN STATE
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Bashir Makama has ordered a full scale investigation into the “Isheri Day” shooting incident in Ogun State on 13th August, 2019, by suspected Soldiers believed to be from Ikeja Cantonment, with a view to bringing the suspects to justice.
“Credible Information at the disposal of the Command has it that on the said date, Four (4) men of the Nigerian Army believed to be from Ikeja Cantonment and posted to Kara Market, left their beats and went to Isheri Olofin, a border town between Lagos and Ogun State where the indigenes of the town were celebrating their annual “Isheri Day”. The Soldiers, on getting there, had a minor disagreement with some youths which made the soldiers to start shooting sporadically into the air. Consequently, one Damilare Adelani was hit by bullets and he died on the spot. The ugly incident infuriated the people at the scene who in turn reacted violently against the soldiers leaving one of the soldiers and three other civilians injured.
“The Soldiers quickly took their injured colleague to a hospital (name with-held) where they met one of the injured civilians being attended to by a Medical Doctor on duty. The Statement from the officials of the hospital reveals that the Soldiers ordered the Doctor on gun-point, to leave the injured man and attend to their colleague. They then dragged the patient out of the bed and subsequently stabbed him to death with a Bayonet attached to the muzzle of his rifle.
“Meanwhile, the Command has contacted the military authorities in Ogun State and efforts are in place to ensure that the suspected killer(s) are brought to book.”
Military authorities, however, denied any wrongdoing in the matter.
A statement signed by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Major Clement Abiade, said the report was aimed at distracting military operations at checkmating insecurity.
He said, “For avoidance of the doubt and the need for clarity, the true situation is that the troops of 81 Division, Nigerian Army, deployed in internal security in Kara general area of Lagos, following a distress call made a prompt intervention to forestall grievous bloody clash among the so-called “Isheri boys” yesterday evening.
“The clash, reported to have started between the group members culminated into lawlessness and anarchy, harassing innocent citizens in the area who were supposedly expected to be enjoying their eid maulid festival. The troops dispersed this group who have constituted themselves into a public nuisance and accordingly restored peace to the area.
“Sadly, one of our gallant soldiers got a machete cut in the head and was immediately evacuated to Gentalbert Hospital for first aid treatment and subsequent transfer to Military Hospital. He is responding to treatment.
“Also reported was a stabbed civilian brought to the same hospital by another civilian while efforts were ongoing to get doctors to attend to the injured soldier.”