Soldiers avenging colleague’s death by killer-cop burn station

Soldiers avenging the killing of their colleague by a policeman on Tuesday stormed the Ogijo area of Ogun State to avenge his death and in the process, threw residents and business owners in the area into confusion

PUNCH Metro gathered that the policemen stabbed the soldier to death and during a reprisal, property including vehicles, and a police station, among others, were burnt.

A resident of the area who simply identified himself as Sam told one of our correspondents on the telephone that trouble started when a policeman allegedly killed a soldier.

He said the slain soldier’s colleagues mobilised and attacked the Ogijo police station.

Commenting on the incident in a post on Twitter, an eyewitness, Rofiat, Alhameed, said the unrest made a lot of commuters stranded as there were no vehicles to convey them to their destinations, adding that she trekked from Odogunyan to the Ogijo area.

Using her handle, @Fee_arh, she wrote, “I had to trek from Odogunyan to Ogijo today running from one place to another trying to avoid soldiers beating passersby and those driving between Odogunyan to Ogijo after a soldier was allegedly killed by area boys while some claimed a MOPOL stabbed the soldier in Ikorodu.”

A vehicle that was set ablaze was seen in the video clip attached to Alhameed’s post.

Also commenting on the development in a post on Twitter, a lady identified simply as Fisayo, using her handle, @This_Fisayo, urged people to be cautious while plying the Ogijo area to their destinations.

The post read, “If you’re going towards Ikorodu first gate down to Ogijo precisely, please stay safe; heard they killed a soldier this evening and they’ve been fighting.”

However, contrary to insinuations that the incident happened in Lagos State, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, in a tweet, clarified that the incident happened in Ogun State.

The tweet read, “There are stories making the rounds that riots have broken out in Odonguyan, Ikorodu. We wish to clarify that the unrest is at Ogijo, Ogun State, though very close to Ikorodu, Lagos. Our officers are on the alert and would not allow any breakdown of law and order within Lagos State.”

Efforts to get the Ogun State PPRO, Abimbola Oyeyemi, proved abortive as of the time this report was filed.

The spokesperson for the 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Lt Col O.O Ayeni, when contacted, said he would get back to our correspondent but had yet to do so as of the time this report was filed.

(Punch)