The family of Nigerian Naval Leading Seaman (LS) Solomon Oladimeji, who was fatally shot by his colleague, identified as Akila, during an argument in Dansadau, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State in October 2024, has raised concerns over alleged neglect and a cover-up by the Nigerian Navy.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, the late Naval officer’s brother, Solomon Oluwafemi, said that four months after his brother was killed by his colleague, the Nigerian Navy authorities neither officially communicated and explained to the family what happened to their son and what has been done to the killer nor compensated the family for their loss.
Oluwafemi also said that though his brother’s mobile phones and some other items have been returned to his late brother’s wife, the wife confirmed that her husband’s salaries have not been paid since the incident happened.
He added that no communication has been received from the Nigerian Navy concerning his late brother’s salaries, entitlements and compensation to his wife, three children and aged mother, whom he said has fainted several times because of her son’s death.
SaharaReporters in October 2024 reported that LS Solomon Oladimeji was shot dead by LS Akila during an argument in Dansadau, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara state.
It was gathered that the two personnel who were both serving at Team 3, former Operation Hadarin Daji now newly named Operation Sheto Yanma, were having an argument after which LS Akila shot Oladimeji.
Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, who confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters, also said that in questionable circumstances, LS Akila opened fire sporadically, killing a fellow military colleague.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, Oluwafemi said, “We feel cheated. The way the Nigerian Navy broke the news of the death of my brother to us was not official. It was not even genuine. It is like a big slap on our face just because we don’t have anyone to help us.
“Since October 2024 when my brother was shot dead by his colleague till now, our aged mother whom my late brother, as the breadwinner of our family, was taking care of has been left in pains and agony.”
Oluwafemi also lamented that history seems to be repeating itself in his family as his father who was a three-star Superintendent of Police in the Nigeria Police Force was also killed in the line of duty in 1994 but till date, the family did not receive any compensation from the Nigeria Police authority or the Nigerian government.
He said, “My father who was a Superintendent of Police (SP) was also killed in the line of duty and till today, we grew up with pains, no gratuity was paid, no compensation was paid to us since 1994 when he was killed while serving this country.
“In a similar manner now, my elder brother was killed and my mother has fainted four times because of the whole issue. It is a big slap to us and they are doing it because we don’t have anybody.”
According to him, “The Nigerian Navy told us that there was an attack on their group in Zamfara. It was only SaharaReporters’ story that made us know he was shot dead by his colleague, and till today, we have been asking the Nigerian Navy what happened exactly.
“When they brought his corpse back to Lagos, they asked us to come to Zamfara for the burial but we refused. He was not killed by insurgents. He was killed by his fellow Naval officer. That means he was killed by Nigeria because the Navy represents Nigeria.
“When they saw that we insisted on demanding the corpse, they released him to us. However, they did not indicate the cause of his death till now.”
He lamented, “Till now, there is no explanation as to what happened to my brother. The Nigerian Navy has not said anything about the person that killed my brother. There is no move to get justice for my brother. They just left us in darkness, and it is a very big pain for us.
“They are treating us so badly like this because we don’t have a rich person in our family who can represent us and speak for us.
“There is no kind of compensation to my mother and my brother’s wife and children. My brother, LS Solomon was the breadwinner of my family. He had three children. I have spoken with the wife and she said she has not heard anything from the Nigerian Navy.”
He confirmed that they have been given the late naval officer’s phone and other items but the wife said there is no alert of her late husband’s salary which according to Oluwafemi, should have continued to come in till the Nigerian Navy decides on his late brother’s entitlements.
Oluwafemi said, “I called the wife and she said she has not heard anything from the Nigerian Navy except that they picked the number of the children.”
He questioned, “Is this the way the Nigerian Navy operates, that when things like this happens, there will be no official communication or visit to the family?”
According to him, “This is the person who was feeding my mother and now, he is no more, and it is not that he was killed by insurgents. If he was killed by insurgents, we will understand that it is what he signed for, but he was killed by his colleague.
“Till now, we don’t know anything about the officer who killed him. The Nigerian Navy has not said anything about what has been done to my brother’s killer nor officially explained to us what happened to my brother.
“This is the second time my mother is suffering neglect from the Nigerian government. When my father was killed in the line of duty as a three-star Superintendent of Police, no compensation was paid to my family. Now, the same thing is happening in the case of my brother.
“My mother is presently hopeless because I am an accident victim and I don’t have much capacity to do much. This is what we are going through and we want Nigerians to know that the Nigerian Navy has not done anything about my brother’s death and for my family.”
