Mohammed Opatola, an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Osun State Command, attached to the Iwo Division, has reportedly died after suddenly taking ill at work on Monday.
Conflicting accounts of the events leading to his demise was given by his colleagues while social media users speculated about the cause of death.
A viral WhatsApp post had suggested that Opatola collapsed immediately after receiving a salary alert for October, which, according to some accounts, did not include promotion arrears expected by NSCDC personnel.
However, his colleagues refuted the claim, stating that Opatola did not immediately slump after seeing his salary alert, but rather went about his duties before the illness struck.
One colleague, who preferred to remain anonymous, disclosed to The PUNCH, “We were all disappointed when we saw that the promotion arrears were missing from the salary. Opatola, like the rest of us, was disappointed but didn’t collapse immediately. He went back to his office and performed some tasks before he suddenly took ill.”
The source further explained, “He excused himself to the restroom, but after some time passed and he didn’t come out, we checked on him and found him unresponsive on the floor. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.”
Another colleague speculated that Opatola may have suffered from high blood pressure following the alert, noting that employees from other agencies under the Ministry of Interior had received their arrears alongside the October salary, heightening NSCDC personnel’s hopes.
“He was visibly upset when he saw the alert. We all shared our frustrations, but it seems he took it harder,” the colleague added.
A third colleague mentioned that Opatola had been promoted and decorated with his new rank less than a week before his death, making the missing arrears even more disappointing for him.
READ ALSO
•Equatorial Guinea Restricts WhatsApp After Official Slept With Over 400 Woman
•Anyone Older Than Seven Can Be Arraigned – Police
“He was hale and hearty when he arrived on Monday. After receiving the alert, he appeared troubled and excused himself to the restroom, where he was later found unconscious,” the source said.
Efforts to get an official response from the Osun NSCDC Command were unsuccessful, as calls to the spokesperson, Kehinde Adeleke went unanswered, and a text message sent to her remained unanswered.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
Former Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, was on Saturday, honoured with an award of…
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State on Saturday, announced that his administration has approved the…
By Abdulfatah Robiu The President of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Students' Union, Damilola…
Sunday is a special day of the week, often set aside for rest, reflection, and…
President Bola Tinubu has cancelled all his official events in Lagos State today in honour…
The death toll from stampede incidents across Nigeria continues to rise, prompting the Inspector-General of…
This website uses cookies.