A father of five, Kamoru Balogun, has died after he was allegedly beaten by soldiers following an altercation with a woman in Isara-Remo, Ogun State.
The incident occurred in Ikamoshe Street in the Isale Oja area of Isara, where the wife of the deceased, Yetunde, sells fried meat.
The deceased was said to be on a visit to his wife’s shop on October 24, 2015, when a female customer, Yemisi, touched the meat indiscriminately.
The late Balogun was said to have admonished the woman to desist from dipping her hands into the bowl of meat.
Balogun’s comment allegedly drew the ire of Yemisi, who rowed with him and threatened to deal with the deceased for insulting her.
The 40-year-old musical instrument engineer and disc jockey left the shop for a show not knowing that evil stalked him.
Yemisi was said to have invited some soldiers stationed at Ogere-Remo to protect petroleum pipelines from vandals.
It was learnt that the soldiers were led to the venue of a party where the late Balogun was engaged to entertain guests. They arrived in two trucks and battered Balogun on the orders of Yemisi until he bled from the mouth .
Our correspondent learnt that Balogun was rushed to Isara General Hospital where he died from injuries sustained during the brutality visited on him by the soldiers.
The incident was reported at Isara Police Division.
Recalling the incident, one of the relatives of the deceased, who is also the Lagusen of Ode Ule, Oba (Dr) Adedayo Olushina Adekoya said: ”The brutal killing of Balogun was reckless on the part of the soldiers involved. On the day of the incident, his wife left for the market and he decided to stay in her shop until she returned. A few minutes later, a female customer called Yemisi wanted to buy some fried meat and was touching the meat with her fingers. The late Balogun then warned her to stop dipping her hands into the meat and his comment infuriated the woman, which made her to threaten Balogun during an altercation.
“A few minutes later, Balogun left the shop to honour an engagement at a party in the community from where the female customer led soldiers to beat him up in public. The soldiers kicked, slapped and whipped him until he started bleeding from his mouth and collapsed on the floor. The soldiers left him for dead and hurriedly left the scene while bystanders rushed Balogun to Isara General Hospital, where he died a few minutes later.”
It was learnt that Yemisi has since gone into hiding.
Another relative of Balogun, Yeye Taye Ayodabo said: ”I was away in Ikorodu, Lagos, when I received the news of my brother’s death. I was told that a woman he reprimanded for messing up with his wife’s fried meat brought soldiers to beat him up and that he bled to death.”
It was learnt that some military police officers from the Army headquarters had visited the community on Friday, October 30, 2015, to investigate the matter, but nothing has been done about it to date.
It was gathered that palpable fear has since taken over Isara community because of the matter.
A resident simply identified as Olawale told The Nation that the residents are “now afraid to go out for fear of being harassed or humiliated following speculation that the soldiers might soon return to unleash further humiliation on those who condemned their indiscretions.”
“We want justice because Balogun was an easy going man and did not deserve to be hacked to death by the very people that should protect his life. The soldiers who killed Balogun must face the wrath of law to serve as a lesson to their ilk in the society.”
The aged parents of the deceased were too grieved to comment on the matter during the eight-day Fidau ceremony held on Sunday, November 1, 2015.
The deputy spokesman of Ogun State Police Command, Mr. Abimbola Oyeyemi, did not respond to inquiries by our correspondent at press time.
