A young man from Ilaje, Ondo State, Gbenga Omogbemi, who was earlier reported dead after an alleged assault by naval personnel, has been confirmed to be alive but in critical condition.
Omogbemi was accused of stealing $9,000 belonging to Captain Aliyu Usman, the Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Igbokoda. He was reportedly beaten by naval officers following the allegation.
In response to public concern, the Nigerian Navy has redeployed Captain Usman, who was said to have led or participated in the assault. Details about the ongoing investigation or the victim’s medical progress had not been made public at the time of this report.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported on Saturday that Omogbemi remained in a serious condition in hospital.
This incident follows previous allegations of misconduct against naval personnel in the Ilaje area. In October, some officers were accused of destroying property, setting a bakery ablaze, and causing casualties during an operation in Obe Adun, Obejedo, and Obe-Nla communities. Residents also accused some personnel of harassing community members.
Sources from the affected communities insist that the Navy has yet to provide evidence supporting its claims of illegal oil refining operations in the area, alleging that ordinary trading activities were being misclassified as illicit refining.
Further updates are expected as investigations continue.
