Owa Kingodm has lost an illustrious son to criminal gangs in Lagos.
Sylvester K. Iruh, a retired Brigadier-General of the Nigerian Army was on
Saturday July 7, 2012 killed at the popular Berger Bridge on the outskirts of
Lagos by those suspected to be hoodlums as he attempted to fix a damaged car
tyre on the highway.
He was said to be returning from Ilorin when his car had a flat tyre.
An Eyewitness and a close member of
the family of the slain Army General disclosed that the Army General and a
devout Baptist was returning from a burial ceremony of a member of his church
when the incident happened at about 7pm.
According to the account, Brig-General Sylvester K. Iruh, suddenly had a
flat tyre as he approached the Long Berger Bridge near the cattle market. As he
attempted to attend with the help of three of his church members in the
vehicle, he was alerted by a concerned motorist, an owner of a towing van who
plies the road regularly to quickly hop into his car and leave the area as it
is a “black spot”, a notorious den of Hausa/Fulani criminal gangs who rob,
stab, and kill their victims in cold blood”.
The witness further narrated that on getting the alert from concerned
motorists, the retired Army General who hails from. Boji-Boji Owa, in Ika
North-East of Delta State, and retired in January 2009, immediately asked other
occupants to hop into the car so he could manage the faulty car out of the”
danger zone.”
But before they could drive off, the hoodlums suddenly jumped out of the
bush with daggers, bows, arrows and other dangerous weapons demanding money,
which the General offered to give to them.
Confirming the incident, the wife of the slain General, Mrs Iruh said;”
please help me tell President Goodluck Jonathan, federal government and
Governor of Lagos state government, Babatunde Fashola, and security agencies to
clear the place so that more innocent women would not be made young widows.
On that same day, an Okada man was also stabbed and his ear chopped off and
rushed to Emergency and Accident hospital at 7UP, Lagos where General Iruh was
rushed to”.
“They have made me an unexpected young widow. Government should move into
the cattle market by the long Berger bridge and save the lives of innocent
Nigerians”, Mrs Iruh lamented.
Brig-General Iruh served in his last posting as Commandant Army Records,
Lokoja until he was retired along with 11 Generals and 94 other officers in
2009. He is survived by a wife and children. He was born on 5th
March 1955. He celebrated 57th birthday few months ago.
As of last night when I made contact with family members, his remains has
been moved to Ikeja General Hospital mortuary pending arrangement of burial by
the family.
The military authorities in Nigeria are yet to react to the killing of
Brig-General Sylvester Iruh
Print
Top
