About five naval officers have killed a man
identified as Collins Osagie over a dispute on
N250.
Osagie, 34, a mechanical engineer, was trying
to settle a dispute between a naval officer,
Awosanya Olufemi, and a spare parts seller
when he was killed.
The naval officer with tag number X8921 was
angry that Osagie tried to settle the dispute
and called his colleagues to brutalise him,
eyewitnesses explained to Crimefacts.
Osagie was severely assaulted and left for the
dead by the officers before he was rushed to a
hospital where he eventually died of
complications and internal bleeding.
Sunday, a relative of Osagie, who spoke with
SaharaReporters, narrated the incident, saying
Osagie was working in the area when he heard
a noise and stepped in to intervene and settle
the matter.
“While he was working for one of his
customers in the area, the naval officer and a
spare part seller were arguing over a plug of
N250. The naval officer came to return a plug
he bought the previous day but the seller did
not want to collect it.
“Osagie went there to settle the fight, he
brought out N250 from his pocket to settle the
matter but the naval officer said he
embarrassed him by trying to give him the money.
“He then called four of his colleagues to come
to the place. The seller got to know that he has
called his colleagues and quickly ran away.
“When the colleague arrived, the naval officer,
Olufemi, pointed to Osagie, that is how they
started beating him.
“People told them that Osagie was not involved
and he only came to settle the fight, so they
rescued him,” Sunday explained.
He added that not satisfied with the assault on
Osagie, the soldiers waylaid him at night when
he was going home and further brutalised him
and left him for the dead.
He said, “When he was going home at night,
unknowingly to him, the soldiers hung around
and waylaid him.
“They descended on him again and beat him
mercilessly, hitting him with sticks.
“They left him there bleeding while some
Hausas who sleep around rushed him to Kena
Hospital, Isashi, but he did not survive as he
bled so much and sustained internal injuries.”
Sunday said the issue had been reported with
the naval officer arrested and currently
detained at the Lagos State Criminal
Investigation Department, Panti, for further
interrogation.
He, appealed to the government to ensure that
the naval officer, Olufemi, produced his
colleagues and they are all made to face the
full weight of the law.
He added that the family had lost fate in the
Investigative Police Officer, who was simply
identified as Lukmon, due to his unnecessary
financial demands.
“We reported the matter to the police and
Olufemi has been arrested.
“Since the arrest was made, the police had kept
quiet, they did not say anything again and the
Navy has not reached out to us about
anything.
“We want the government to intervene and
ensure that we get justice.
“The matter should be moved to court and he
and his colleagues should face the law,” he said.
Confirming the incident to Crimefacts,Bala Elkana,
spokesperson for the Lagos State Police
Command, said they were aware and
investigation on the matter was currently
ongoing.
“We have commenced investigation into the
case. Investigation is ongoing,” he said.
