‘How soldiers killed my father ahead of my wedding’

The Olupitan-Hassan family of Ikeja area of Lagos State has appealed to the Nigerian Army to fish out the alleged killers of their bread winner Adewale Olupitan-Hassan who died on Monday, July 30, barely one week after he was allegedly brutalised by some people in military uniform in Obanikoro area of the state.

The deceased’s first son, Omololu, said his father was driving his Toyota Camry car on Sunday, July 22, 2012, when he was caught in a traffic jam as a result of the closure of the Third Mainland Bridge.

According to him, the suspected soldiers, blowing siren in a military convoy, blocked his car, opened the door and dragged the father out before dealing blows on him.
In an emotion laden voice, Omololu told Sunday Vanguard,“In the process, one of the officers used his gun butt to hit my father’s head which resulted to a crack in his skull.

They thereafter dragged him to a military facility on Marina where he was taken to their Commandant.”

There, Adewale, according to the son, tried to defend himself but the military officials lied that he broke the side mirror of their vehicle and the Commandant ordered him to replace it before his car was released to him.

“He (the Commandant) told myfather to count himself lucky, as the officers could have killed him on the grounds that he was a member of Boko Haram and nobody would have questioned their authority’.

“Out of fear, Adewale reportedly replaced the mirror the following day, but his healthdeteriorated on Friday, July 27 and he was rushed to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital LASUTH, where he was referred to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH. He gave up the ghost on Monday, July 30.

Omololu, whose wedding, scheduled for October 20, 2012, has been canceled as a result ofthe tragedy, said the case has been reported at the Office of the Public Defender, Lagos State but that his family wants the authorities of Nigerian Army to bring the culprits to book.

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