Ogun: Policeman ‘killed’ by ex-Governor Gbenga Daniel’s driver while opening gate

 

A policeman, Sergeant Adeleke Ogunsola, has died in Sagamu while opening a gate at the Asoludero residence of former Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State.

 

Ogunsola was one of the police officers posted to the quarters of Gbenga Daniel for security purposes.

 

It was gathered that the policeman was opening the gate for Daniel’s driver when he was reportedly involved in an accident that led to his death on Saturday.

 

Our correspondent learnt that the gate being opened by Sgt Leke “bounced back” and he was allegedly knocked down by the former governor’s driver.

 

The young policeman was thereafter rushed to a hospital, where he was said to have eventually died.

 

Police sources, who spoke with our correspondent, said their colleague died in a mysterious way, accusing the Ogun State command of plots to sweep the incident under the carpet.

 

The cops, who did not want to be mentioned over the fear of retribution, were not happy that Ogunsola was turned to a gatekeeper instead of the job he was posted to do in Daniel’s house.

 

According to them, an officer was once ‘sent out’ of the building over his refusal to be reduced to a gatekeeper in police uniform.

 

“Why will an armed policeman be the one opening a gate? Why will politicians turn the police into their slaves? When an officer refused to be used as a gateman in the house, they called the DPO that he should change him and he was redeployed. A policeman bearing arm will be asked to open the gate; drivers, civilians and Daniel himself will be telling officers to open the gate. If there is a gatekeeper in that house, this will not happen. This was a man who left his home for work on Saturday morning, but he died in a mysterious circumstance.

 

“It is so unfortunate that our bosses in this job are not speaking the truth because of what they want to eat. Imagine, officers posted to that Gbenga Daniel’s residence are paid N2,500 weekly. Now that guy has died. What will he give to his family that will replicate the life of that officer? We are tired of this job,” the police sources said.

 

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident, saying, however, that it was an accident.

 

“That was an accident. He was opening the gate, the gate bounced back and the driver mistakenly hit him with the gate. It’s an accident, it can happen to anybody.”

 

Asked if a policeman should be the one opening a gate, Oyeyemi replied: “Well, we don’t know the circumstances that led to him opening the gate. We were not with him on duty. It may be that the gate is of two arms, somebody will be open the first arm, another person opens the other. It’s possible. If he’s not armed as of the time, he can help in opening the gate. But we’re not there with him. We don’t know the circumstances that led to him opening the gate. It is an accident. It can happen to anybody.”

 

Asked, the police image maker said the Ogun command has sent a condolence message to the family of the deceased Sergeant Leke Ogunsola.

 

Contacted, a media aide to Gbenga Daniel, Steve Oliyide, promised to get back to our reporter, but he is yet to do so over 24 hours after.

 

Daniel governed Ogun State from 2003 to 2011 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 

Currently, the former governor, who is now a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is eyeing the Ogun East senatorial seat, even after he had announced his retirement from partisan politics.

 

In May 2021, two persons died inside Daniel’s Conference Hotel in Abeokuta as a result of a fake gas cylinder used while servicing a revolving door at the hotel.