Wife of slain Ajayi Oladele, Esther, has accused soldiers of the Fourth Mechanised Brigade, Benin, Edo State of torturing her husband to death in Warri, Delta State, over an alleged N1.5 million owed one Mr Kayode Adeosho.
Counsel to the bereaved family, Mr Kunle Edun, disclosed to journalists in Warri, on Saturday, that Oladele, 43 and father-of three children, was allegedly tortured to death by soldiers while in their custody.
Edun said the deceased was arrested on May 8, 2017, in Warri by the soldiers allegedly hired by Mr Adeosho, after borrowing N1.5 million from him in January 2017 and refusing to pay back.
The counsel said before his death, Oladele had denied ever borrowing such money from Adeosho.
Edun said, “on their way to Benin, he pleaded with the soldiers to release him because he had a delicate health condition, but alleged that the soldiers started beating him inside their vehicle.
Upon arriving Benin-Oladele’s health was said to have worsened, but that the Commanding Officer of the Military Intelligence in the Brigade said he would not be released until he paid the money.
After his health further worsened, Oladele was taken to a military hospital in Benin, where his legs were chained to the bed.
‘‘When the authorities of the military hospital could no longer cope with the deteriorating health of Oladele, they, on May 10, 2017, directed that he should be taken to his personal doctor for attention,’’ he further alleged.
Edun also stated that one Sergeant Hassan Hassan, of the Military Intelligence of the 4th Mechanised Brigade, Benin called Oladele’s family members to come to Benin to effect his bail.
“On May 12, 2017, our client and one Mr Oladele, accompanied by their solicitor, decided to go to Benin where the Commanding Officer, T A Yakubu, reeled out the story to them again.
‘‘Yakubu confirmed to us that the medical doctors at the military hospital had advised that Oladele should be taken out of the hospital for his personal doctors to attend to him.
“At the Ekpan General Hospital, Oladele was rejected and was thereafter taken to Central Hospital, Warri, where he died 15 minutes later on Friday, May 12,” Counsel to Edun narrated.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), 4th Mechanised Brigade, Benin, Captain Maidawa Maidawa, did not answer calls put across to his phone for comment neither did he reply to text messages sent to his mobile phone.
When contacted, however, Sergeant Hassan, directed journalists to go to Benin for enquiries.
“You know the Fourth 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 takeover the phone,” he said.
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