Army begins probe of Osun killer soldiers
Adeyinka Adekunle
The Nigerian Army, yesterday, initiated a dialogue with the family of Adeyinka Adekunle, a car dealer, who was on March 25 , tortured to death by soldiers from the Infantry Battalion Barracks, Ibodi area of Osun State.
Adekunle was allegedly tortured by soldiers on the orders of one Lt. Tobi Akindapo. The 37-year-old and his friend, Solomon Ogundare, had visited a beer parlour at Imo, Ilesa, on Thursday, March 24 to have fun.
While the duo were drinking, they were allegedly approached by three men, who solicited drinks from them.
Adeyinka and his friend, reportedly, refused, saying they did not have money to buy extra drinks.
It was learnt that the men, who were soldiers, but not on uniform, tortured Adeyinka and even forced him to eat his vomit, before he died in the barracks of the Battalion.
The family of the deceased had petitioned the military authorities and the Osun State Police Command to bring the killers of their son to book.
79-year-old father of the victim, Pa David Adekunle, lamented that none of the officers involved in the killing had been exposed since the incident.
In a letter, the Nigerian Army 2 Division, Ibadan, Oyo State, confirmed the receipt of the petition of the family of the victim.
It advised the family to come forward with a lawyer to aid investigations into the matter. A member of the family, identified simply as Adekunle, confirmed the receipt of the letter by the family.
MEANWHILE, the Nigerian Bar Association and a group of human rights’ activists, The Osun Masterminds, had demanded the release of the details of soldiers involved in the killing of the car dealer.
The NBA, Osogbo branch, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Daud Ajetunmobi, said the association was ready to take up the matter.
The statement said the branch Chairman, Mr Hassan Agbelekale, had directed the human rights committee of the group to look into the matter with a view to bringing the soldiers to justice.
While demanding the immediate release of the soldiers to the appropriate authorities, the NBA warned that the era of jungle justice was long gone in the country.
SIMILARLY, the Osun Masterminds, in a statement by its spokesperson, Ayodeji Ologun, condemned the arbitrary use of force by officers of the Nigerian Army on harmless residents of Osun State, particularly the people of Ilesa, who are immediate neighbours and host of the military base in Ibodi.
The group gave the military authorities 72 hours to release the names of the soldiers involved in the murder.
The statement read: “We demand with immediate effect that the military hierarchy release the names of the officers involved in the unwholesome interference of public peace in Ilesa and those through whom and in whose custody their victim died. It is unbelievable that the Army authorities have so far refused to release the details of those soldiers. Why are they being shielded?
“As a civil group, we have concluded plans to petition the Chief of Army Staff as well as the President in his capacity as the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic if within 72 hours the names of the culprits are not made known. We will continue to mount a watch as things unfold until justice is finally served.”
