Chief of Army Staff Farouk Yahaya has denied that soldiers burned a police station in the Ogijo community on Wednesday as retaliation for the death of a colleague. Some residents told Metro that soldiers had invaded the station to avenge the killing of a soldier allegedly by a police officer who also set fire to property, vehicles and the police station itself.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 81 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, described the incident as an angry mob attacking the police station after witnessing the soldier’s death. The statement, titled “Murder of a Soldier: Angry Crowd Attacks Police Station,” explained that the mob, present in the border town of Ogijo between Ogun and Lagos states, took advantage of the situation and assaulted the station.
According to Ayeni, the slain soldier had approached a police officer who was improperly dressed and standing near their vehicle to confirm his identity. The confrontation escalated into a fight, resulting in the soldier being stabbed to death. The officer was arrested and placed in military custody for his safety, pending handover to the Nigeria Police Force for prosecution.
The soldier was rushed to Lagos State Polytechnic Hospital in Odogunyan but was declared dead on arrival. His remains were transferred to the 174 Battalion Medical Centre in Ikorodu. Troops have been deployed around all police stations in Ikorodu to prevent a breakdown of law and order. Ayeni said the situation has now been brought under control and normalcy has returned to the community.
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