SaharaReporters learnt that the military men, who were guarding an oil company, Enikkom Nigeria Limited, allegedly tortured Ossai to death, after accusing him of stealing some cables from the company.
Some soldiers of the Nigerian Army have tortured to death a man, Mr Azuka Ossai, who was a resident of Aboh community in the Ndokwa East Local Government Area, Delta State, SaharaReporters gathered.
SaharaReporters learnt that the military men, who were guarding an oil company, Enikkom Nigeria Limited, allegedly tortured Ossai to death, after accusing him of stealing some cables from the company.
A source who spoke on the condition of anonymity told SaharaReporters on Tuesday that the soldiers invited the victim to the company but they overpowered and started beating him with their guns until the news got to the whole community.
The source said before the youths could gather to intervene, they had beaten him to a coma and brought him to them with a speed boat.
It was in their efforts to rush him to the hospital that Ossai gave up the ghost, and the source identified the two soldiers who led in the assault and killing of Ossai as Victor Umoessien and James Danladi.
The source said, “There was an extrajudicial killing in my place by soldiers. They are securing a company. The name of the company they are guarding is Enikkom Nigeria Limited. They are working on an oil pipeline. The young man was murdered by two soldiers yesterday. There have been communal issues and the oil company is trying to come and work in the community.
“The name of the guy they killed was Azuka Ossa and the Enikkom company where the guy was murdered is located at KP17 NNPC Pipeline, Aboh, Ndokwa East Local Government Area.
“The company sent somebody to go and call him. He went there all alone. He had never been caught or indicted for any robbery case. We got a call that the soldiers were maltreating him, saying there was a day he came to steal cable wire.”
He said, “He was a ghost worker. They paid him. But the soldiers just accused him of stealing a cable and started beating him. The soldiers said no boat should leave the waterside when youths were gathering and heard about the case.
“The torture started around 11am and lasted till 5pm. Later, they brought him with a speed boat. They had broken his limbs. He was unconscious and before we could get a vehicle to transport him to the hospital, he gave up the ghost. That was how they succeeded in killing the guy.”
The source said his body had been deposited at St. Luke Mortuary, Kwale, Ndokwa West Local Government Area.