Soldiers from the 4 Mechanized Brigade Military Intelligence reportedly tortured a man to death
The victim wife said her husband was killed over N1.5 million debt Nigerian soldiers from the 4 Mechanized Brigade Military Intelligence have reportedly tortured one Otunba Ajayi Oladele to death over a debt of N1.5 million.
A referral from the military hospital in Benin City addressed to Consultant Physician at the Warri Central Hospital in Warri, a spinal cord injury gotten from alleged brutal beating by the military men led to Oladele’s death, Punch reports.
Oladele was arrested on May 8 following allegations by one Kayode Adeosho that he collected the sum of N1.5m from him since January but has refused to pay back. Adeosho brought some military men to arrest Oladele and he was taken to their barrack were he was reportedly beaten up by officials.
It was hinted that Oladele pleaded with the soldiers to release him because he had delicate health conditions that needed constant use of special drug but the soldiers refused and forced him inside their vehicle.
A source said: “The late Otunba Ajayi Oladele’s health condition worsened when the soldiers finally arrived Benin-City. “He was kept kept incommunicado with his mobile phones and other items in his possession seized, while he was placed under arrest with his legs chained.
“He was taken before the Commanding Officer of the Military Intelligence in the Brigade, who told him that he must pay back the sum of N1.5m before his release. “At this stage, Oladele’s health condition had gotten worse and would have almost died that moment, if the Commanding Officer had not directed that he should be rushed to the Military Hospital along Airport Road, Benin City. “At the hospital, he was put in a room and leg-chained.
Soldiers were mounted at the door, guarding him. It was in this inhuman state that medical doctors attended to him.” The source added that one of the military officers (a Major) later called the wife of the deceased, Esther Oladele to rush down to Benin City. “Mrs. Esther Oladele was taken before the Commanding Officer of the Intelligence Group where the Commanding Officer told her why her husband was arrested.  

“The Commanding Officer directed that she should go and source for the N1.5m to pay the complainant to effect the release of her husband from their custody. “She was later allowed to see the husband in the hospital. She wept when she saw the condition of her husband in the hospital. “However, Oladele in his dying state denied the allegations against him.
“Later, Lt. Col. Yakubu directed Sgt. Hassan Hassan to release Mr. Oladele to his wife on bail, after signing some bail bond with written undertakings that the N1.5million would be paid.
“The said Sgt. Hassan Hassan later took them to the military hospital where the late Oladele’s one leg was still chained to the hospital bed in his dying condition.
“Mrs. Esther pleaded that her hubby was in a terrible condition and that he should be quickly rushed to his personal doctors who knows how to handle him in Warri.” The deceased wife, Esther, who could barely speak at the press conference, demanded for justice and also called on relevant authorities to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to book.
The Public Relations Officer, 4 Brigade, Benin City, Capt. Maidawa Maidawa, could not be reached on the telephone for clarification on the incident. But Sgt Hassan, who had earlier called the family to take the deceased on bail before he eventually died, when contacted declined to speak on the matter saying that journalists should come to Benin for any inquiry.
According to him: “You know the 4 Brigade in Benin-City, go there and make enquiries. The woman knows the place, let her take you there, this is an operational office line you are calling, any moment from now someone else is going to take over the phone.”