Soldiers attached to the Ojo Cantonment Barracks led by a yet-to-be-identified colleague, who was accosted for driving against the traffic around Volks Bus Stop, along the Ojo Iyana Iba Road area of Lagos State have stabbed a policeman, Saka Ganiyu, to death.
A soldier, reportedly driving against traffic in an unregistered T4 Volkswagen commercial bus, was stopped by police officers on duty at Volks Bus Stop. In response to the officers’ actions, the soldier called in colleagues from the Ojo Cantonment Barracks. This resulted in a violent altercation in which Policeman Saka Ganiyu was stabbed and later succumbed to his injuries at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
Angered by the action of the policemen, it was learnt that an altercation ensued and the soldier contacted some of his colleagues, who reportedly trooped out of the Ojo Cantonment Barracks and attacked the policemen.
A document chronicling the circumstances surrounding the soldiers’ attack on the policemen indicated that Ganiyu sustained varying degrees of injury during the attack and was rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital for urgent treatment.
This situation raises serious concerns about the conduct of military personnel in civilian areas and the ongoing tensions between different security forces in Nigeria.
“However, the injured Inspector (Saka Ganiyu) later died in the hospital while undergoing treatment. The corpse was deposited at the hospital’s morgue for preservation and autopsy.
“Meanwhile, the Commander 9 Brigade, Ikeja Cantonment, has been contacted and the erring soldier was taken into custody at their base,” the document read.
It was gathered that the identity of the soldier was yet to be revealed by the military authority as a thorough investigation by the homicide detectives had been initiated to ensure justice for the policeman.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundenyin, did not respond to calls and had yet to respond to a text message sent to his mobile phone as of the time of filing this report.
The spokesperson for the 81 Division Nigerian Army, Olabisi Ayeni, when contacted for a reaction, said, “Let me do my findings and get back to you.”
He had yet to get back to our correspondent as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, soldiers are usually in the news for allegedly attacking and killing policemen in the line of duty in Lagos State.
In August 2022, an Inspector serving with the Lagos State Police Command, Orukpe Monday, died from the injuries he sustained during torture by soldiers who attacked him and his colleagues in the Trade Fair area of the state.
The soldiers were said to be on their way to a training programme at the Ojo Military Cantonment when they realised that the movement of the vehicle conveying them to the destination had become slow.
During an attempt to ascertain the cause, the soldiers, upon realising that policemen had stopped the vehicles ahead of them, got down and started challenging them, creating a fracas that escalated and led to Monday’s arrest and the torture that reportedly claimed his life.
The following points can be noted from the report:
- Death of Inspector Ganiyu: He was injured during an incident involving soldiers and later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. His body has been sent for preservation and autopsy, indicating that an official investigation is underway.
- Investigation and Custody: The erring soldier has been taken into custody by the military, and a thorough investigation by homicide detectives is being conducted to ensure justice for the deceased officer.
- Lack of Communication: The police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundenyin, has not responded to inquiries about the incident, and the spokesperson for the 81 Division Nigerian Army, Olabisi Ayeni, has promised to provide further information but has yet to follow up.
- Historical Context: The report mentions a similar incident from August 2022, where another inspector died after being tortured by soldiers. This recurring pattern of violence between military and police personnel is troubling and indicates a need for better communication and protocols between the two forces.
The situation calls for urgent attention from both military and police leadership to address the systemic issues that lead to such violent encounters, ensuring that proper channels of communication and respect for law enforcement duties are maintained.
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