A labourer, Oluwaseyi Adeoye, who was working with the Ogun State Government has been allegedly shot dead by a military operative during a demolition exercise on Monday at Ganic Company around Orile-Imo along the Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway in the Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of the state.
The state town planning enforcement team was reportedly at the company to enforce building regulations concerning the acceptable height of the company’s fence when the incident occurred.
Adeoye was part of a team from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development assigned to pull down illegal structures in the area.
Sources said officials and labourers from the ministry stormed the site to enforce demolition orders but met resistance from military operatives stationed there.
Witnesses said tensions escalated after the demolition team insisted on carrying out their assignment despite objections from the soldiers.
The disagreement reportedly degenerated into a clash between the labourers and the military personnel.
One of the labourers, narrating the incident, alleged that a soldier opened fire in anger as the enforcement team was about to start the demolition exercise.
“They actually wanted to kill everyone, but we had to scamper for safety. We were accompanied by seven police officers, but they couldn’t do anything,” he said.
According to eyewitnesses, a bullet struck Adeoye during the chaos, and he reportedly died on the spot.
His remains have since been deposited at the State General Hospital Morgue in Ijaye, Abeokuta.
Reacting to the incident, Chairman of the Concrete Dealers Association, Kolawole Obadeyi, expressed regret, noting that they had worked with the ministry for over 38 years without such an unfortunate incident.
He said, “We have been working with the ministry for decades. Usually, there are clashes on the site, but we know how to manage such incidents.
“When they got there and discovered soldiers were at the location, they ought to have retreated. Most times, the right thing is to call for more reinforcement so that the demolition does not turn bloody. We have been working with the ministry for about 38 years now.
“It was shocking that we lost Oluwaseyi over a ₦10,000 daily job. He only went out to earn a living. This is unfortunate.”
Obadeyi also called on the government to compensate the deceased’s family.
“We would like to know what the government will do for his family as compensation for the life lost. We don’t want a situation where the body will be buried and nothing comes from the government,” he said.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the incident, stating that investigations were ongoing.
“I can confirm that someone attached to the Ministry of Planning was shot dead. I can also confirm that investigations are ongoing to get to the root of the incident. That’s all I can confirm. Every other thing, investigations will unravel in time,” he said.
Also speaking, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tunji Odulami, described the killing as unfortunate and assured all that security agencies had been contacted.
“Right now, we are reaching out to all security agencies around to adequately identify the personnel involved. They can’t just come from nowhere; they need to be identified and followed up through proper processes to get to the root of the matter.
But more importantly, this should not happen again,” he said, commiserating with the family and promising that the government would get to the bottom of the incident.
However, when contacted, Captain Idereghi Akari, Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations of 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta, said he was not aware of the incident.
“I am not aware of the incident. I will find out what happened and get back to you,” Akari said.
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