The late apprentice, Sadiq Ismaila and injured Abudu
Nigerian Army personnel attached to Exercise Crocodile Smile II
have been accused of killing an apprentice, Sadiq Ismaila, 20, and
fleeing with his body to cover up the crime, The Nation has reported.
The sad incident occurred around 1:30pm, at Oniru Block Village,
Lekki on Tuesday, where they left at least four others injured,
including Paul Abudu and Bridget Afolabi.
But the Nigerian Army said the deceased was a “notorious drug peddler, armed robbery kingpin and that he first shot at the soldiers.”
It was gathered that the soldiers, who came in a convoy comprising
three armoured tanks and eight Hilux vans, had on Sunday stormed the
neighbourhood shooting sporadically before raiding 76 persons.
The residents scampered to safety at hearing the gunshots. Of the
people raided, it was learnt that about 65 were handed over to the
Maroko Police Division, which transferred them to the Lagos State
Taskforce on Environment.
Others were released at the army barrack where they were allegedly
subjected to hard labour and made to sleep in the open field. It was
also learnt that Ismaila was packing blocks in the village when the
problem started. He abandoned them on hearing the gunshots.
According to a food vendor, Rosaline Adedipe, the soldiers shoot
Ismaila, because he refused to stop when the soldiers ordered him to do
so .
She said: “They shot him on the head. He was packing blocks
when the army men started coming to his direction. People were running
and Sadiq ran too. They told him to stop but he refused. He ran towards
the fence and it was while he was standing by the fence that one of them
told the other one: “Wait! I will kill him”.
“Then, that one fired a shot on his head and Sadiq died on the
spot. By that time, they had arrested four other persons. They now told
the four men to carry his body into their Hilux van and they fled the
area.
“This is the spot where it happened. See his blood still showing on the ground, despite that sand was used to cover it up.
“What the army people did was very wrong. Sadiq neither drank
nor smoked. He was just doing his legitimate job and they killed him
like that. Those behind it should be arrested. Let justice be done for
Sadiq.”
Narrating his ordeal, Abudu told The Nation that he was running like others when they saw the soldiers but suddenly fell.
“One of the army men followed me. When I fell, he jumped on my
arm with his boot. I cried and he left me there. That was how I broke my
arm. I am not a criminal. I do not smoke marijuana. I ran because they
were just arresting people anyhow.”
Afolabi, who sustained leg injury, said she fell while running to avoid being victim of indiscriminate arrest.
Admitting that there were some people who indulged in illegal drug
abuse, Afolabi said most of them were doing legitimate business.
The Block Village Chairman, Bola Ekundayo, decried Ismaila’s
murder, urging President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Akinwunmi Ambode
to probe his death.
Ekundayo said the operatives should have done due diligence to arrest the criminals, instead of killing innocent people.
He said: “I know Sadiq very well. He’s a young man from Oyo
State. He just recently finished learning tailoring. He was packing
blocks at the village to save money.
“He neither drank alcohol nor smoked. He was very gentle and
respectful. Most of us here are block makers. This place used to be a
ghetto where they smoked marijuana but the police have flushed most of
them out.
“So, we renamed it Block Village because we are into block
business. Why did they carry his body away after killing him? Is it not
because they wanted to cover up their crime? When I heard of the
incident, I called the Divisional Police Officer (DCO), Maroko, on
phone and told him but he did not come. We are poor people here.
Everyone here is afraid because no one knows when the army will come
again to cause another trouble.”
Condemning the incident, a lawyer and President, Yoruba Council of
Youths, Aremo Hassan, wondered why the soldiers would open fire on
unarmed civilians without provocation.
He vowed to get justice for Ismaila, adding that he was already compiling evidence to formerly report the incident.
“I am at the scene. I have spoken to some of the eyewitnesses
and I have also seen the spot where they shot Sadiq. I have seen his
blood-stained clothe. This atrocity must not go unpunished.”
In a broadcast message, Hassan wrote: “Please I just got a
distress call that men of the Nigerian Army code named ‘Crocodile Smile
2’ attached to the Epe Army Barracks, without any provocation have
killed one innocent man, Mr. Sodiq Ismail, 20, from Ona Ara Local
Government Area in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“The soldiers left with the deceased body in their armoured
vehicles to cover up their atrocities. The incident occurred during
their rampaging show of strength. Kindly alert the whole world of the
evil, injustice and killings committed by them.”
Contacted, spokesman for the 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Olaolu Daudu said:
“Acting on credible information a raid was carried out at about 2pm on
October 17, on the hideout of a notorious drug dealer as well as kingpin
of an armed robbery gang one Ahmed Sadiq ( aka Bambi).
“The criminals opened fire on sighting troops of Crocodile
Smile II to escape arrest. He was shot and died from gunshot wound. Nine
other suspects were arrested and items recovered include one live
cartridge and several empty cases of cartridges,
Exiplon expectorant liquid, tramadol hydrochloride tabs,
kukubima powder, passion energy drink extrajoss powder and wraps of
marijuana.
“Above is not a reaction, but fact which can be verified
against spurious allegations. The troops from all the services, security
agencies, paramilitary and state parastataIs are guided by the Rules of
Engagement and Code of Conduct.”
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