Set Up Judicial Enquiry Into Igbokoda Fire Incident; Says Military Lied - IAF to ODSG

The Ilaje Advancement Forum has expressed disappointment about the manner the Ondo State Government have treated the inferno and unwanted destruction of properties of one Mrs. Taiwo Menukuro in Igbokoda citing complicity of men of Nigerian Navy attached to the Forward Operating Bass sited in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government of Ondo State. In a press statement by the organization termed "Attack on Provision/Medicine Store in Ondo: Naval Officers Excesses,  Unspoken Truth and Justice for the Victim", the group said "We are particularly worried that up till the time of this publication, ODSG is yet to set up a judicial committee of enquiry to verify the claims of Mrs Taiwo whose shop was completely razed down as a result of the activities of the overzealous naval officers that resulted in the complete destruction of a pharmaceutical shop valued at about 1.5million naira."

While urging the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu to disregard rumours as to what eventually happened on the sad day, the group said it is "regrettable that Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu was misled by a  beer parlour gist (now deleted) published on the 17th April 2020, on Facebook by one Mrs Tokunbo Ehinmowo Igwe (who has been known with questionable character). For the sake of posterity we wish to correct the false narrative sold to the state government by the said Mrs Tokunbo Ehinmowo Igwe, who wasn't at the scene or even in Igbokoda on the day of the incident, 16th of April 2020. It is not correct that Mrs Taiwo sells petrol or diesel in the pharmacy/provision shop, neither was she cooking at that material time. We can independently confirm that Mrs Taiwo uses that shop as both accommodation and business after she lost her residence to the flood that overwhelmed Igbokoda in the month of  April 2019."

"In the same breath we wish to clarify that the statement credited to Major General John Enenche, Defence Media Operations(DMO) is not only wrong, but an attempt to cheat Mrs Taiwo, who is a struggling mother of three. Major General John Enenche, in his publication on Tribune newspaper of 19th April 2020 claimed that “The fire gutted a small medicine shop built with block and wood, it was reported that the owner, as with others, on sighting Nigerian Navy patrol vehicle while enforcing the 7:00 pm curfew enforcement imposed by the state, ran into the shop and exited through the back door of the shop."

"On the contrary, we visited the scene, took video recordings of the remnants of the burnt shop and can confirm the shop had no back door."

"We are at an austere period where  government is giving palliatives to  citizens, we do not expect the Nigerian Navy officials to be complicit in the destruction of properties in the midst of a ravaging COVID-19 menace. In the spirit of fairness, we believe Mrs Taiwo Menukuro (NEE) Omosehin deserves a fair hearing on this matter."

"We plead with ODSG to set up an independent judicial committee of enquiry to look into this matter and ascertain the veracity of the claims of the poor woman with a view of mitigating the economic hardship imposed on her family by the alleged arson."

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