A labourer working with the Ogun State Government has reportedly been shot dead by a yet-to-be-identified military officer during a demolition exercise at Orile-Imo along the Sagamu-Abeokuta Expressway on Monday.
The deceased, Oluwaseyi Adeoye, was part of a Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development team tasked with demolishing unlawful structures in the area.
According to sources, ministry workers, led by one Mr. Hamzat, clashed with military personnel stationed at the site, who opposed the demolition. Tensions escalated, and a soldier allegedly opened fire, fatally striking Adeoye. Eyewitnesses said he died on the spot and his body was taken to the State General Hospital Morgue in Ijaye, Abeokuta.
“When we got to the site, the team engaged the engineer on ground who begged but he insisted that the demolition must be carried out… They actually wanted to kill everyone but we had to scamper for safety,” said labourer Makinde Ibrahim, who witnessed the incident.
Kolawole Obadeyi, Chairman of the Concrete Dealers Association, blamed the demolition team for the clash, saying they should have retreated upon seeing the soldiers.
“Most times, what ought to have happened is to call for more reinforcement so that the demolition will not turn bloody. We have lost Oluwaseyi because of a N10,000 daily job. He only went out to earn a living,” Obadeyi said.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Oluseyi Babaseyi, confirmed the death and said investigations were ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tunji Odulami, described the incident as unfortunate, expressing sympathy to the family and promising government compensation. He added that efforts are underway to identify the military officer involved.
“Right now, we are reaching out to all the security agencies around to adequately identify them… then follow the other processes to ensure we get to the root of the matter,” Odulami said.
The tragic incident has sparked concern over coordination between demolition teams and security personnel, highlighting the risks faced by workers enforcing government directives.
