Soldier shoots dead transporter of kegs of diesel in Ondo

By Adetokunbo Abiola

A soldier on a motorcycle pursued and shot dead a man transporting kegs of diesel in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The incident, which took place on Wednesday, led  to uneasy calm and outrage as well as  disruption of vehicular movement along the Okitipupa–Ore Highway.

It was gathered that the incident occurred at about 2:30 p.m., when the deceased, identified as Solomon James, an indigene of Kogi State, was reportedly transporting kegs of diesel in his vehicle.

Eyewitnesses claimed that the soldier on a motorcycle chased the victim for some distance before gunshots were fired at the vehicle.

Eyewitnesses said the driver was hit during the incident, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and come to a stop in a nearby bush, while the soldiers allegedly fled the scene immediately.

The authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the development as at the time of filing in this report, while the circumstances surrounding the alleged shooting remained unclear.

Residents and commuters expressed concern over the incident and called for a thorough investigation to determine what led to the confrontation and ensure accountability.

However, a security source confirmed the incident to the correspondent while the Nigerian Army is yet to react to the incident.