*Police to analyze pistol, bullets found on scene
Less than 24 hours after the Fleet Commander,
Western Naval Command, Apapa, Rear Admiral Teikumo Daniel Ikoli was found shot
to death in his apartment at Tamandu Barracks, leading tom shock and confusion,
a group, the Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative, IPDI, said that the
deceased was assassinated by an insider.
The group, led by its national president, Mr Austin
Ozobo, in a press release, urged the presidency, police and Department of State
Security (DSS), to ensure a thorough investigation of the incident and solve
the puzzle. This was even as he described the death of Ikoli as mysterious.
Ikoli, on Wednesday morning, was found dead in his apartment.
The death led to confusion, with some residents in the area where he resides
claiming he shot himself, other alleged he was murdered.
The death of Ikoli has been described as mysterious.
While some people in the area said he was assassinated, others insisted that he
commit suicide. The Admiral was found with a pistol lying on top of his chest. He
was alleged to have been shot inside the mouth.
Another naval officer, who worked with him said: “His
wife is in Abuja and his children school abroad. His orderly and Naval
Assistant (NA) usually leave after dropping him. The bullet hit him on the
chest. Three bullets were seen in his room. No one can really tell what
happened but the position he was seen suggests he might have been scared of
something or someone.”
Lieutenant Commander Chinwe Umar, described the
matter as domestic accident, stressing that police had been invited and
investigation was ongoing.
It was further heard that Ikoli was appointed into
the presidential committee on the probe of arms deal.
According to Ozobo, Ikoli, as Ijaw man, was assassinated.
He said: “ Ikoli was assassinated by enemies of Ijaw nation, who did all their
best to stop him from rising to the rank of Chief of Naval Staff. We strongly
debunk the unfounded media report which claimed that he shot himself in his
bedroom. Ikoli did not shoot himself. He was grudgingly assassinated by an
insider. It’s our candid demand that Federal Government of Nigeria through the
office of Chief of Naval and Defence Staff should thoroughly investigate the
circumstances leading to the death of Rear Admiral Ikoli.”
The group further stated: "It’s not possible
that he shot himself ; as a highly- placed officer, he didn’t carry gun, except his orderly. He was suspected to have been murdered by
perceived enemies who have envisaged that he may likely take over from the
current serving naval chief by May or end of June, 2017. It’s a well-planned
underground conspiracy. How could he have shot himself three times as accounted
by reporters, who got to the scene of the incident?
"This is another attempt to eliminate senior Ijaw
serving military chiefs. This is the same conspiracy that led to the death of
former National Security Adviser, NSA, late General Owoye Azazi, who hailed
from Bayelsa State and now, it’s the turn of Rear Admiral Ikoli.”
The Lagos State Police Command, yesterday, assured
Nigerians and naval personnel that it would do everything within its power to
unravel the puzzles of Ikoli’s death.
According to the police, it would carry out a
forensic analysis of the recovered pistol and bullets found in the apartment.
A police source said that forensic analysis would be
done on pistol and bullets. The source said that the police needed to make sure
that the bullets were from the pistol.
“The man who found the Admiral and raised the alarm
had been invited and quizzed,” said the police source.
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