SaharaReporters had exclusively reported that Ogunkayode Adegoke with service number 17NA/76/4847, who was shot in May after he and his colleagues broke out of "overcrowded cells" to protest against poor feeding, others in Sokoto State, was put back in a cell.
Lance Corporal Ogunkayode Adegoke, a soldier who was shot after he and his colleagues broke out of "overcrowded cells" to protest against poor feeding, others in Sokoto State, has reportedly gone missing.
SaharaReporters had exclusively reported that Ogunkayode Adegoke with service number 17NA/76/4847, who was shot in May after he and his colleagues broke out of "overcrowded cells" to protest against poor feeding, others in Sokoto State, was put back in a cell.
Adegoke, was later on crutches and returned to a ‘"guardroom" (cell) after spending weeks in the Medical Registry System (MRS).
Doreen Augustin, wife of Lcpl. Adegoke, had raised the alarm, lamenting that her husband was dying in the cell.
According to Doreen, her husband was in urgent need of medical attention after being shot in the leg.
Twenty-four-year-old Doreen who spoke to SaharaReporters in June, had narrated her ordeal and lamented that several efforts made by her to get access to her husband had been futile.
However, a source told SaharaReporters on Monday that the soldier has not been seen for weeks, adding that family members and friends cannot acertain whether he is alive or dead.
"We don't know whether Adegoke is dead or alive. Ever since the wounded soldier was evacuated to medical centre, nothing has been heard about him. The family and friends have no access to him, even the wife and his son were denied access to see him. We can't really acertain what the problem is.
"Also, nothing has been done about the rest of soldiers that are still in the detention, five months after the last incident. The commander has been maltreating the detained soldiers in a very bad manners.
"The soldiers have been denied of their freedom, access and communication to their families," the source said.
The source urged the Nigerian Army to make move on the issue and also consider the soldiers that have been in detention for three to four years without trial.
SaharaReporters had exclusively reported how Adegoke was shot following complaints by some detained soldiers who broke out of their cells in Sokoto State.
The incident occurred at the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army in Sokoto amid the soldiers’ clamour for better food and improved living conditions.
It was learnt that the soldiers had demanded to speak to Major General Mutkut Godwin, the GOC 8 Division, Nigerian Army.
A source who spoke with SaharaReporters had said about 100 soldiers were detained at the 8 Division with about 10 soldiers in each cell.
The source said some of the soldiers had been in detention for four to five years.
The source said, "The incident happened as the detained soldiers complained about their standard of living, broke the guardroom gate and demanded to speak with the GOC.
"Some officers later told them that the GOC was on the ground to speak with them but surprisingly the GOC was not there. But they opened fire on the soldiers. A military police officer in person of N/18258 Lt Ms Lemu gave the order to 23NA/84/3907 Lcpl Sada Abubakar to fire the wounded soldier, with several other soldiers.
"Many soldiers are there who have not been receiving salaries for 2 to 3 years.
"While some of the soldiers in the detention have been there for 4 to 5 years now. Injustice has been taking place.”
"Some of the soldiers have now been moved from the 8 Division provost guardroom where the incident happened to garrison guardroom, while some were moved to Air force guardroom. Seven others were granted open arrest," the source said.
Lcpl Adegoke Ogunkayode who was serving in Zamfara before his detention over a year ago, hails from Ikogosi in Ekiti West Local Government of Ekiti State.
Meanwhile, authorities of the Nigerian Army in May said it had launched a probe into how some soldiers kept in guard rooms (detention) for various offences broke the facility located at the 8 Division Garrison, Sokoto.
It also said it would go ahead to implement the directive of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, to look into the state of all Nigerian Army detention facilities, saying the detainees’ lives matter.
The spokesman of Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu, had said the service shall not shy away from appropriately sanctioning the soldiers involved in what he described as “unruly behaviour” in its Sokoto detention facility.
He said, “The Army Headquarters has taken note of a report and audiovisual recording circulating on social media produced by some of its personnel held in custody at the 8 Division Garrison detention facility.
“Undoubtedly, the Sokoto barracks detention facility incident is quite unfortunate and an embarrassment to the sound administration efforts of the Chief of Army Staff, to say the least, and in line with his leadership style, the COAS has instituted an appropriate investigation into the incident to determine whether it is an isolated or widespread situation in similar detention facilities.
“While the service regrets and has gleaned some lessons from the incident, it will however not condone the manner the inmates expressed their purported grievance. Mutiny and conduct prejudicial to service order are grievous misconducts, and this very incident epitomises such.”
Nwachukwu, a Major-General, said they would be sanctioned for failing to exhaust all available options to channel their complaints to the appropriate authorities.
He added that if it was discovered they did and nothing was done, necessary administrative actions will be taken against anyone found to have failed to discharge his or her duties effectively.