Nigerian Army Accused Of Covering Up Corporal Umaru Ibrahim Who ‘Killed’ Lagos Businessman While Driving Against Traffic
Some top echelon of the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army in Lagos have been accused of covering up a case of manslaughter involving one of their junior officers Corporal Umaru Ibrahim.
Neusroom reliably gathered that Ibrahim, in flagrant disregard for traffic rules, allegedly hit and killed a father of two standing by the roadside in Lagos Island, on June 5, 2020.
In a CCTV footage of the incident seen by Neusroom, the victim – Engineer Jide Ayeni, was about to cross the road when he was knocked down by Ibrahim who was riding a motorcycle at top speed against traffic on a one-way street.
Neusroom gathered that the Police took over the case and charged the suspect to court but he was released to the Army on the request of Major Andy Danbeki, the Commanding Officer, Army Signal Regiment, of the Arakan Cantonment in Apapa, who signed an undertaking to turn Ibrahim in whenever he is due to appear in court for trial.
Ibrahim was due to be arraigned at Igbosere Magistrate Court on July 1, 2020 but was not available because the Nigerian Army refused to hand him over to the Police as promised.
Neusroom also saw a copy of the letter addressed to the 81 Division Provost Group of the Nigerian Army Military Police, Lagos by SP Adaobi Okafor, the DPO of Lion Building Division, Lagos Island.
In the letter dated June 30, 2020, the Police requested that the suspect be turned in for prosecution as he was due for arraignment on July 1. More than 25 days after the letter was received by the Military Police, it is yet to send Ibrahim to the police as promised.
Sources close to the Police alleged that Danbeki has been mounting stumbling blocks on the way of the Police to cover up the case, hide the accused and deter the investigations and court proceedings.
Neusroom called Major Andy Elisha Danbeki who was accused of hiding Ibrahim from trial but he told our correspondent that the claim is not true.
Danbeki initially denied knowledge of the case, but when the correspondent insisted that he saw the undertaking the Major signed with the Police. Danbeki changed his words and said the Military Police is handling the case and directed the correspondent to speak with the MP.
“If you’re in Lagos, you should meet the Military Police so they can give you details of how far they have gone with the investigation since they are handling it,” he said.
When Neusroom spoke with Major Kazeem Abimbola Adeta who Danbeki said is the head of the Military Police in Lagos, he also confirmed the case and asked for a physical meeting with the correspondent.
“I’m aware of the case and it is being investigated at our side,” Adeta told Neusroom, on the phone.
He also invited the correspondent to a meeting in his office at Dodan Barracks in Obalende, Lagos, “to discuss it (the case) and find what we can do about it.”
Neusroom could not reach the spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Bala Elkana, for comments. All calls to his phone were not answered on Friday evening.
Several cases of extrajudicial killings by men in uniform often go unpunished in Nigeria, this is why family members and other Nigerians are worried and crying out for justice for the late Ayeni and his two young kids left behind.
A journalist David Hundeyin wondered who the Army swore to protect if a soldier is being shielded after committing a crime.
He tweeted “If a soldier can thoroughly disrespect his uniform, break the law and kill a father of 2 young children in the process and be protected by the army, then whose army is it exactly?”
Popular OAP, Dotun, while calling for justice for the deceased, tweeted “Why is it so hard to get justice in this country? They are hiding the culprit. The family wants justice. The Police have tried everything. He rode one way and killed the pedestrian. Help the family of Engr Jide Ayeni get justice.”
Ladi Ogunseye, a popular Twitter user said justice may be served “If not for the now buried Engineer Jide Ayeni, at least for his 2 kids.”
He also called on the Lagos State Government and the Nigeran Army to intervene to get Major E.A. Danbeki to release Corporal Umaru Ibrahim.
A Twitter user Onwe Tochukwu Kenneth who believes the suspect may have been redeployed out of Lagos to cover up the case tweeted: “He has been declared unknown soldier, he might have been transfered to another cantonment and this is civil case not murder case. Army should not handle the matter in this form.”
In its 2012 Annual Report, Amnesty International stated that hundreds of people were unlawfully killed by the police while few police officers had been held accountable.
The Human Rights Watch, in its World Report 2013, also corroborated AI’s report which indicted men in uniform in Nigeria. It further explained that authorities had not yet prosecuted the relevant individuals for unlawful killings dating back to 1999.
