Arepo killings: ‘Our men didn’t execute anyone’

The Defence Headquarters have refuted allegation that naval men, under the Military Joint Task Force, kill three men at the Arepo area of Ogun State last week Sunday.

The Defence Headquarters’ spokesman, Colonel Rabe Abubakar said: “There’s no truth in the allegation that soldiers or naval men rounded up and killed the three men.”

Abubakar’s reaction followed a protest on Wednesday, carried out by residents of Arepo after discovery of three corpses of members of their community.

Residents of Arepo in Ogun State on Wednesday embarked on a protest over discovery of the three corpses, of three residents believed to have been executed by naval personnel.

The naval officials stationed in Arepo to check activities of petroleum pipeline vandals were said to have picked up the victims whose names were given as Biodun Mohammed, Chicago and Body, on Sunday at a beer joint. They allegedly dragged the men inside the bush at Voera Estate before executing them.

Abubakar described as unfair, the people’s claim. He urged them to point accusing fingers elsewhere.
According to him, “all security agencies engaged in that operation had been committed towards protecting government infrastructure and the lives of innocent residents who were easy target for vandals.
“To accuse soldiers of any of the killings is unfair. There is no iota of truth in that. I have received the details and I can tell you that there was no sign of gunshots nor was there anything to show military personnel or operatives engaged in Operation Awatse were responsible. In as much as we sympathize with the people over their loss, we advise that they should point their fingers elsewhere.”

Abubakar wondered why any member of the Joint Task Force would kill residents, especially now.
He said: “There has been no operation since Easter holiday. No encounter and nothing have happened. If the military was hostile towards the populace there, it would have taken revenge when some personnel were killed but we maintained peace. How can we kill people we are supposed to protect? Caution should be applied in allegations like this. Miscreants have been siphoning fuel and vandalizing platforms of government. The government decided to give protection to the facilities as well as innocent residents by deploying security forces to the area.”