Naval Officer Murder Car Dealer, Jailed For Life

A naval court-martial handed out a life imprisonment sentence to the officer, Lieutenant Baba Adamu, for allegedly killing a car dealer in Lagos last year.

It was gathered that the officer had in May 2012 allegedly engaged the car dealer in a scuffle, which became bloody and resulted to the death of the civilian identified as Pedro Ikhajagbe.

Trouble started a year earlier when the officer allegedly gave $10,000 to the car dealer to assist him to purchase a car.

Few months later, the car dealer allegedly brought a vehicle which was not the exact specification the officer requested and the lieutenant allegedly turned it down and asked that the specification he requested be bought for him or his money be returned.

However, the car dealer allegedly requested for more time to enable him purchase the exact specification the officer had requested, and he was granted.

But days grew into weeks and weeks into months and yet the car dealer was allegedly unable to reach the agreement entered into with the naval officer.

Daily Sun learnt that one year after the agreement, the officer who was serving in Jos, Plateau State returned to Lagos in search of the car dealer whom it was gathered, lived in the Satellite Town area of Lagos.

A source said before he proceeded for the search, the officer allegedly reported the matter at the Naval Police unit at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Wey, but rather than wait for the naval police to act, he proceeded on the search alone.

According to a source, the car dealer allegedly bolted into his apartment on sighting Naval officer and the officer followed him.

Witnesses said a scuffle ensued resulting to the death of Pedro, adding that Pedro did not die immediately as the officer quickly carried the bleeding car dealer and rushed him to the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital in Navy Town, Ojo Lagos.

While at the hospital, the officer was asked to get a police report to enable full treatment commence and he was alleged to have gone to the Satellite Police Station, Agboju to report the matter.

However, while at the police station, report came from the hospital that the car dealer had died and the police promptly took the officer into custody.

When the matter got to the Navy, naval authorities directed that the officer be retrieved from police detention facility to their own cell at the NNS Beecroft. This was done and the officer returned to naval custody.

A Board of Inquiry (BoI) was constituted by the Force to look into the incident and determine the culpability of the officer.

After the BoI concluded its sitting, Daily Sun learnt that the officer was recommended to face a naval court-martial, headed by a Navy Captain (Colonel equivalent in the Nigerian Army).

The court which started sitting since last year, only concluded its sitting last week and handed a life sentence to the officer for his involvement in the death of the car dealer.

The Nigerian Navy, had at the time of the incident, said Mr. Pedro Ikhajagbe, died from injuries sustained during a scuffle he had with the naval officer in Satellite Town, Lagos.