A policeman, Inspector Saka Ganiyu, has been stabbed to death by a soldier following a traffic-related altercation at Volks Bus Stop along the Ojo Iyana Iba Road in Lagos State.
The incident occurred when the soldier, driving an unregistered T4 Volkswagen commercial bus and not in uniform, was stopped by policemen on duty for driving against the traffic.
Angered by the stop, the soldier reportedly contacted his colleagues at the Ojo Cantonment Barracks, who rushed to the scene and attacked the policemen.
According to a report documenting the incident, Inspector Ganiyu sustained multiple injuries during the attack and was quickly taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for medical care. However, he later died while undergoing treatment.
The report stated: “The injured Inspector (Saka Ganiyu) later died in the hospital while undergoing treatment. The corpse was deposited at the hospital’s morgue for preservation and autopsy.”
The Commander of the 9 Brigade, Ikeja Cantonment, was promptly notified of the incident, and the soldier involved was taken into custody by the military authorities.
As of the time of this report, the identity of the soldier had not been released, and investigations into the matter have been initiated by homicide detectives to ensure justice for the deceased officer.
Attempts to reach the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, for comments were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls or text messages. Similarly, the spokesperson for the 81 Division Nigerian Army, Olabisi Ayeni, said, “Let me do my findings and get back to you,” but no further updates were available at the time of filing this report.
This incident brings to mind a similar tragedy in August 2022 when Inspector Orukpe Monday died from injuries sustained after being attacked by soldiers during a confrontation in the Trade Fair area of Lagos.
The soldiers, reportedly en route to a training at Ojo Military Cantonment, clashed with policemen over a traffic stop, leading to Monday’s death.
