'My Son Was Murdered At NDA' - Wing Commander
In a recent interview, he also accused the NDA of criminal negligence in the circumstances of his son’s death and wants to pursue the case to a logical end.
Excerpts:
Q. Why do you accuse NDA of murdering your son?
I say ‘murdered’ because it is a case of deliberate actions, well articulated deliberate actions, negligence, incompetence, combined together that resulted in the death of my son. He was admitted last year for the Course 66.
They carried them for camping. In the course of the camping, the NDA, on their own, pushed him into a dam. And he was pushed without a life jacket. That resulted in his death.
How do you mean he was pushed?
The NDA never denied it. They told me they pushed him. They said that there are instances when somebody delays in jumping into the water and that they would push the person. Right from the beginning, they have never denied this. And there are witnesses as to what happened.
When they went for the exercise, what they did was that they just got a rock and a rope which they tied to each person’s waist and made them to jump into the dam. I asked them how deep the water is and they said it is 100 metres deep, but I doubt it; they don’t even have the real figure because it is a dam and it is very difficult for a dam to be at that level.
But when I asked those who have been working in that dam, they said it is about 30 metres; still very deep. So when they went for the exercise, they were tying a rope loosely around their waist. And this rope, it is only when the person outside pulls the rope that it tightens around the waist. The boy had never swum even a pond talk less of swimming pool.
Were they aware of this?
They are aware. They did training. He had never seen that volume of water in his life. So, he raised observation with his men asking how they could push them into that kind of water. As far as I am concerned, I want to believe that it was without an option.
When it came to his turn, something happened, but there are two versions to it-one version planted by the NDA themselves that when he was pushed because he was delaying, that was when the rope slacked and went off.
Those who gave me the real story said when they pushed him without the rope really gripping him, the rope slacked and he was struggling. Then the NDA, the same people that pushed him, refused to pull the rope.
He continued struggling and struggling until he disappeared from the surface of the water. This is the one I can confirm. I think it was intentional. The refused to pull the rope whether it could grab him, because he had not put on the rope.
The NDA commandant confirmed that it was the boy that died out of disobedience. He said this at a press conference when the story first came out.
He (the commandant) gathered journalists and said they shouldn’t quote him. They were not also allowed to record. He said the boy died out of disobedience by removing the rope. And possibly, he can’t remove the rope inside water.
If you read the papers, the commandant said even when he removed the rope, they were still talking to him. But I know they can’t be talking to him inside the water which confirmed the first version I was rejecting. Initially, I took their version hook, line and sinker.
But now, he was standing, he had not fixed the rope well, and somebody pushed him while asking:“sebi you dey fear?”
They allowed him to drown inside before pulling the rope. Of course the rope was off. They now called fishermen to rescue the boy with their fish ropes. It took them several hours before one of the fish ropes hook him like a fish, they dragged him out.
These things were recorded by the NDA but they are denying that they have the record, but nothing of such goes in the NDA without it being recorded. Eyewitnesses told me that they recorded even when they brought out the corpse. I asked them to bring out this video and let’s see what really happened, but they refused.
Did they give you your son’s corpse?
They brought the corpse, they buried it themselves, but I allowed them to bury it.
You are a product of the NDA and understand the rules. We also understand there is a place where parents sign that you may go in there and don’t come out alive. Is it true?
It is true. I signed it, but does the fact that we signed the paper exonerate you from criminal negligence? Does it give you the right to start murdering people?
Do you think your son was singled out to be murdered?
You see, it is just somebody’s carelessness. And it could have been anybody. That’s why I am saying I would carry this thing to a logical conclusion. Why am I saying that? It is not the first time a person would die at the NDA.
Since I knew NDA, over 20 people have died. We have a case of the about 15 people that were drowned in a river and one particular thing that is common among them is that none of them died with a life jacket.
I told them I wanted to know the outcome of the report and the measures they are putting in place to ensure that this does not happen again. I am telling you today, it is a problem. Even his personal property, it was a problem collecting it.
The person I thought was officially representing the NDA was just shunning me; I sent text messages to him, he never replied me.
At the moment, had there been any further communication between you and the NDA?
There is none.
What logical conclusion are you hoping to get this case to?
I don’t know, God would determine. But I have told them right from the beginning that if they don’t do anything, I will pursue it even it means me shedding my blood. But I will make sure nobody dies after this.
How old was he?
He was 19 years. He died at exactly 19 years and one month. It is not just about my son; he is dead and would never return. I may never have a son that would go to the NDA again, but what of those coming behind?
When you went through training at the NDA, did you go through this water course?
Nothing like that. I didn’t see the essence. And I learnt that the commandant said it is exercise and that they are not supposed to wear life jackets, but why did they give others life jackets after my son was dead?
Let me tell you something; it was when the boy died that one of the officers volunteered to use his own money to get life jackets to tell you the level of corruption in Nigeria.
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