Driver that was shot
Soldiers shoot driver in Ogun for parking beside company. Bolaji Sunday, a commercial driver, was hospitalized after two unidentified soldiers allegedly shot him for parking his truck in front of the Oriental Transport Company near Magboro Bus Stop in Ogun State’s Obafemi Owode Local Government Area.
PUNCH Metro left his house on Sunday and traveled to the place to meet someone who wanted to link him with a consumer.
Sunday parked his truck near the front of the establishment, which was supposedly guarded by troops.
The driver was stated to be on his way to meet the person who wanted to connect him with his customer when the commander of the soldiers confronted him about parking at the location.
While Sunday was attempting to explain himself, our correspondent learned that the two soldiers wanted the key to his vehicle and told him to sit in a gutter.
When the troops realized that the driver was still justifying his justification for being at the spot rather than obeying the order, they descended on Sunday and shot two of his vehicle’s tyres.
In a desperate bid to save his life, the driver told our correspondent while writhing in pain on a sickbed at the Real Divine Hospital in the Obafemi Owode LGA’s Ibafo region that he began running, adding that one of the soldiers allegedly shot him in the back.
“I came out on Saturday to meet the person who will give me the number of the customer I was to carry on Sunday,” he explained. As a result, I parked my car near the Magboro Bridge. I was on my way to meet the guy when the commander of the soldiers inquired why I had parked my bus there and demanded my key. He afterwards instructed me to sit in the gutter.
“I didn’t steal anything; all I was doing was waiting for my customer.” But before I knew it, they had begun to beat me with a belt. They shattered my windscreen and fired two of my tyres when I tried to grasp the belt. I instantly hopped down and began running for my life, but the troops shot me in the back, and I fell into the gutter.
“I began calling for help while in the gutter, but no one came to my aid because they were afraid.” Later, a driver who was on his way to Ibadan, Oyo State, assisted me. The driver rescued me from the gutter and took me to the hospital. They shot me in the back and arm, and the bullet went through and out the other side of my body.”
While visiting Sunday at the hospital, our correspondent noticed that he was pale and had bandages over his neck and chest. Six drip containers were also hung alongside him.
Sunday’s wife, Oluwatosin, expressed sadness over her husband’s condition, saying that despite her husband’s requests to the troops to let him drive the vehicle away from the scene, they refused and allegedly shot him.
“My husband just wanted to get the number of one of his customers at the location where he parked his vehicle,” she explained. However, the troops appeared unexpectedly and asked him to sit in the gutter.
“I wondered what he did wrong; he pleaded with them to let him drive his bus away from there, but the soldiers burst his tyres.” My husband was shot by the military when he attempted to flee. The soldiers also shattered his windshield.”
The windscreen and door of Sunday’s vehicle were damaged, according to images obtained by our correspondent. As broken glasses covered the floor of the bus, one of the deflated tyres was also observed.
Later, our journalist went to the location of the incident to speak with eyewitnesses.
A biker identified only as Jubril claimed the soldiers could be guarding a company near the Magboro Bridge, and that he had unintentionally parked near the company on Sunday.
“The driver should not have argued with the soldiers,” he added. If I were the one, I would simply beg them to let me leave. I don’t blame the driver, and I don’t agree with the soldiers’ behavior, but I don’t think he (Sunday) should have gotten into a fight with them.”
Omolola Odutola, the state Police Public Relations Officer, responded to the development by saying that attempts were underway to track down the fleeing soldier who shot the victim.
“The incident occurred at Magboro Bus Stop, where Oriental Transport Company usually parks their vehicles,” she explained. The company’s soldiers asked Bolaji Sunday, 35, to move the truck he had parked in front of the company; an altercation occurred, and one of the soldiers fired him.
“Sunday was rushed to the hospital, where the Divisional Police Officer is speaking with him and he is responding to treatment.” There is no further accessible information that has reached the police as to the true reason for that level of provocation; people were reassured to keep calm as efforts to hunt down the unnamed fleeing soldier continue.”
When contacted on Monday, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army’s 81 Division, Lt. Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, said he will investigate the situation and get back to our correspondent.
“Give me some time; let me figure out what happened.” “Let me look into it, and I’ll get back to you,” he said to our correspondent.
On Tuesday, calls to Ayeni’s mobile number for an update on the probe were not returned.