Admiral Ikoli`s Death: Suicide Or Assasination?

Nigeria in the last few years has been battling series of upsurge in violent crimes, especially armed robbery, kidnapping and assassination all over the country admist various community clashes, voilent killing, raids, domestic vioilence, assasination and the rest of them. There is hardly any Nigerian that has not heard, witnessed or experienced any of this. Its not that these things are not common in other countries but the ability to place a watch guard or security check to reduce this criminal activities or to corp the pepertrators of these crimes.

Just of recent, Akinwunmi Ambode, the energetic governor of Lagos State, set up a properly equipped and trained neighbourhood watch, code-named Neighbourhood Safety Corps, in an attempt by his government to arrest the growing trend of violent crimes in the state. In spite of this, the state witnessed yet another bloodbath last Sunday as rampaging militants mowed down four policemen, an army captain and one civilian in one fell swoop during a foiled kidnap operation at Ishawo, in the Ikorodu area of the state.

The Fleet Commander of Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Daniel Ikoli, had been found dead at his Apapa, Lagos residence. Initial confusing reports said that Admiral Ikoli might have shot himself dead in the new era of mounting suicide cases in the country. The Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS BEECROFT, who was appointed into the presidential committee on the probe of arms deal, was said to have been found in a pool of his blood in his bedroom. According to a naval aide to the deceased, a boy who lives at his home claimed he heard gunshot from Ikoli’s room and took cover. The aide said: “The boy said he heard gunshot and when he did, he took cover. The bullet hit him on the chest. Three bullets were seen in his room. No one can really tell what happened but the position he was seen suggests he might have been scared of something or someone.”

What do you think caused his death, could it have been that he took his own life or this was just another caseof silent assasination. Acessing the private life of the Admiral, family members conclude that he was stable. career wise it has been noted that the arms probe panel instituted by the presidency to probe the $15 million arms deal which has seen many top officers in the security services being dragged to various courts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earned him accolades everywhere. This is because of his honest and uncompromising stand. This, it was reported, resulted in the accelerated promotion he got recently.

I feel that these incidents should be thoroughly looked into and Admiral Ikoli`s case should not be allowed to  to join the ever-lengthening cases of unresolved murders that have plagued this country. This is because as long as assassins continue to strike without being detected by the security agencies, many more people will continue to resort to assassinations to settle squabbles or silence opposition to their moves. And the society will definitely continue to be the worse for it.