The Nigerian Army’s 81 Division is investigating the alleged assassination of one Mr. Lawal on August 17, 2023, by some people dressed in military uniforms.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, the 81 Division’s Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, the allegation is still sketchy, but “81 Division Nigerian Army considers it appropriate to bring the occurrence to public notice and the steps taken to identify the alleged persons in military uniform, believed to be soldiers, and bring them to justice if truly they are serving soldiers.”
He said that the Division is carrying out the investigation in conjunction with the Nigerian Police Lagos State Command to unravel the identity of the alleged suspects and the circumstances surrounding the alleged unfortunate incident.
He added that at the end of the probe, if the suspects are identified as serving soldiers, they will be made to face the full wrath of both military and civil laws.
“While the matter is under investigation, Headquarters 81 Division requests the family of the deceased to exercise patience and wait for the outcome of the investigation as whoever is found wanting will be made to face disciplinary action. The Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for troops’ misconduct or involvement of its personnel in any form of criminality, hence, will not allow this allegation to go unraveled,” the statement added.
The General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Maj Gen MT Usman, commiserated with the family of the victim while promising that justice would be served accordingly.
He assured the family of the deceased that whosoever killed their loved one will not be allowed to go unpunished.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Solomon Adeola has alleged that soldiers of the Nigeria Army operating checkpoints around the Ikeja axis of Lagos State are responsible for the killing of his senior aide, Mr. Adeniyi Oluwatosin Sanni, in the early hours of Saturday, August 5, 2023.