The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday refuted allegation that naval men, under the Military Joint Task Force, killed three men at Arepo in Ogun State on Sunday.
The Defence Headquarters’ spokesman, Colonel Rabe Abubakar, said: “There is no truth in the allegation that soldiers or naval men rounded up and killed the three men.” Abubakar’s reaction followed a protest on Wednesday by residents of Arepo after the discovery of bodies of three members of their community. The residents said the victims were executed by naval personnel. The naval officials stationed in Arepo to check activities of petroleum pipeline vandals were said to have picked up the victims whose names were given as Biodun Mohammed, Chicago and Body, on Sunday at a beer joint. They allegedly dragged the men inside the bush at Voera Estate before executing them. But Abubakar described as unfair, the people’s claim.
The spokesman urged them to look for the culprits elsewhere. He said: “All security agencies engaged in that operation had been committed towards protecting government infrastructure and the lives of innocent residents who were easy target for vandals.
“To accuse soldiers of any of the killings is unfair. There is no iota of truth in that. I have received the details and I can tell you that there was no sign of gunshots nor was there anything to show military personnel or operatives engaged in Operation Awatse were responsible. In as much as we sympathise with the people over their loss, we advise that they should point their fingers elsewhere.” Abubakar wondered why any member of the Joint Task Force would kill residents, especially now.
He said: “There has been no operation since Easter holiday. No encounter and nothing has happened. If the military was hostile towards the populace there, it would have taken revenge when some personnel were killed but we maintained peace.
How can we kill people we are supposed to protect? Caution should be applied in allegations like this. “Miscreants have been siphoning fuel and vandalising platforms of government. The government decided to give protection to the facilities as well as innocent residents by deploying security forces in the area.”
