Published 23rd Aug, 2023

By Tola Owoyele

On August 17, Yusuf Lawal was asked by his employer, Cedric Masters Autos, a Lagos State-based auto dealership company, to help deliver a brand new Toyota Corolla to an Abuja-based client.

Since the company planned on delivering two cars to two separate clients in the same Abuja on the same day, Lawal was mandated to also reach out to Ibrahim Danfulani, another company driver, so he could join him in taking a second car, a Hilux truck, along, to meet up with the scheduled delivery.

As both men left the pick up location with the cars, and in the evening of the same day, they never knew a sinister ending lay ahead.

That night, a murder was committed when both drivers came across a military checkpoint in the Berger area of Lagos.

CEDRIC MASTERS AUTOS MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE’S ACCOUNT

In an Interview with FIJ, Izuchukwu Mekowulu, the media office for Cedric Masters Autos, gave a detailed account of what transpired when both Lawal and Ibrahim got to the checkpoint at Berger.

“Lawal was driving a Toyota Corolla 2022 model while Danfulani was driving a Toyota Hilux truck to Abuja when they came across the military checkpoint at Berger,” Mekowulu said.

“As they approached the checkpoint, the soldiers motioned for them to stop. While Lawal did, Danfulani did not. Instead, he went past the checkpoint in full speed. He sped off.

“When Danfulani got to Ogere, he waited for many hours for Lawal to join him, but the latter did not show up. After a while, he ended up receiving a voice not from Lawal, who was begging him in Hausa to please send N3,000 to him so he could give the soldiers who had stopped him.

“While listening to the voice note, Danfulani heard one soldier shouting in the background and asking Lawal, “what are you driving?”. After this, they snatched the phone from Lawal’s hand and Danfulani could no longer hear a thing.”

Throughout that night, Danfulani continued to call Lawal’s number, but his number was no longer reachable. When Lawal’s location and safety could no longer be ascertained, his employers were alerted and a search for him commenced the following morning.

“When we commenced a search on August 18, his corpse was shockingly and sadly later found around Iyana Ipaja axis,” said Mekowulu.

“He had been shot twice; we saw a bullet hole in his abdomen and another in his chest. His lifeless body was in a bush that was very close to the roadside.

“Till we speak, the car he drove is nowhere to be found. Whoever killed him took it.”

IBRAHIM DANFULANI’S ACCOUNT OF EVENTS

The Video Danfulani Made

Danfulani, the other driver who fled the checkpoint, later made a three-minute video to narrate the events that led to Lawal’s death on August 17. He spoke in pidgin English.

“Yesterday (August 17), I was at home when I received a call from Lawal. He wanted us to go to Ajah, our vehicle pick up location, so we could deliver two vehicles to two of our company’s clients in Abuja,” said Danfulani.

“We were unable to pick up the vehicles on time, until 7 pm in the evening. As we were about heading out of Lagos, he told me he was yet to receive fuel money from the company and that for now, we would only be able to buy fuel worth N10,000.

“He then said when we got to Ogere (in Ogun State), we would spend the night there because it was already getting dark. The plan was to continue our journey on the morning of the next day.”

Danfulani said they encountered a military checkpoint at Berger bus stop on their way out of Lagos.

“Lawal’s car was in front of mine when we got to the military checkpoint at Berger Bus Stop. The soldiers at the checkpoint immediately stopped Lawal and asked him to park the car,” said Ibrahim.

“As they tried stopping the car I was driving as well, I sped off and did not stop. As I drove off, I heard the leader of the military team shouting at the other soldiers that they should stop me. I had, however, sped off and there was no way they could stop me.

“Before the incident at the checkpoint happened, Lawal had already told me to wait for him in the event that I got to Ogere before him. When I got to Ogere, I waited for him, but he would not show up. I also called his number, but it was not reachable.

“I then later sent a WhatsApp voice note to him. After a while, he sent a response saying he was being taken to an area in Iyana Ipaja by the soldiers. He also told me that they were presently at Toll Gate Bus Stop. As he spoke, I could sense that he was terrified and afraid. His voice was shaky.

“He also asked that I send him N3,000. He did not tell me what he wanted to use the money for. Perhaps, he wanted to appease the soldiers with it. That was the last thing I heard from him.

“While returning from prayer this morning, someone asked me about Lawal’s whereabout and I told the person that he was yet to show up where we agreed to meet.

“He then asked me to dial his number. I did but his number was still unreachable. It was not long before someone else also called me, asking me of his whereabout. I gave him the same response I gave the first person that had asked the first time.

“This was when he said we can only just pray for Lawal’s soul. When I demanded to know what had happened, he said Lawal had been killed.

“When I began making calls and asking questions, I was sent a photograph of his lifeless body. This happened after the soldiers forcefully took him to Iyana Ipaja area.”

‘THEY HAVE TAKEN ME!’

Lawal’s WhatsApp Voice Note

FIJ was able to obtain the WhatsApp voice note Lawal sent to Danfulani after he was stopped by the soldiers at the checkpoint.

Below is a translation of the voice note the deceased sent to his colleague in Hausa:

“Hello, can you hear me? They have taken me,” Lawal said.

“Please, can I get N3,000 from you? Hello, hello, we are around Toll Gate.”

WHEN LAWAL’S BODY WAS FOUND

When Lawal was eventually found, he was no longer alive. His lifeless body lay in a bush that was very close to the roadside. His corpse was found at Cement Bus Stop, along Lagos-Abeokuta expressway.

He wore a green T-shirt and a blue jeans trousers.

Lawal's Body at the Morgue — Lawal’s Body at the Morgue

He had been shot twice; once in the chest and once in the abdomen. The Toyota Corolla car he drove before encountering the soldiers has also not been found till date.

THE STEPS TAKEN AFTER LAWAL’S MURDER

When officials of Cedric Masters Autos got wind of Lawal’s death and decided to report the matter to law enforcement agencies, it was alleged that the leadership of the 9 Brigade of the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, popularly known as the Ikeja Army Cantonment, insinuated that the act was probably perpetrated by “fake soldiers”.

Subsequently, the 81 Division invited Danfulani to the cantonment and see if he would be able to identify the soldiers he saw at the check point on the night of August 17.

When Ibrahim visited the cantonment, he was able to identify the soldiers who stopped Lawal at the check point on August 17. When he did, he immediately called his superiors at Cedric Masters Autos to inform them of the latest development.

“A source told us that the commander of the brigade has since commenced an investigation into the incident,” Mekowulu told FIJ.

WHO WAS YUSUF LAWAL?

Yusuf Lawal (Second Right) and Ibrahim Danfulani (Second Left).

Yusuf Lawal, 47, was from Zamfara State. One of his colleagues, who asked not to be named, described him as a friendly man who never bore any grudge against anyone.

“He was easy-going, friendly, always smiling and very funny. He was a devout Muslim who believed in kindness and sharing the little he had with anyone that needed help,” his colleague said.

Lawal, who joined Cedric Masters Autos in 2019, was survived by two wives and five children.

He has since been buried according to Islamic rites.

STATEMENT MADE BY THE 9 BRIGADE COMMAND OF THE NIGERIAN ARMY

FIJ made phone calls to Brig. Gen. Adegoke Adetuyi, the commander of the 9 Brigade 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, for comments on the matter on Monday, but they were not answered.

A text message sent to the general had also not been responded to at press time.

However, Lt. Col. Olabisi Ayeni, the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations of the 81 Division, had issued a press statement on the matter on Sunday evening.

“Headquarters 81 Division Nigerian Army (NA) wishes to inform the general public that it has commenced investigation into an alleged killing of one Mr. Lawal who was said to have been killed by some persons in military uniform on 17 August 2023,” the statement reads.

“In as much as information into the allegation is still scanty at the moment, being a responsible organisation, Headquarters 81 Division Nigerian Army considers it appropriate to bring the occurrence to public notice and the steps taken to identify the alleged persons in military uniform, believed to be soldiers, and bring them to justice, if truly they are serving soldiers.

“The Division is currently carrying out the investigation in conjunction with the Nigerian Police Lagos State Command to unravel the identity of the alleged suspects and the circumstances surrounding the alleged unfortunate incident.

“At the end of the investigation, if the suspects are identified as serving soldiers, they will be made to face the full wrath of both military and civil laws.

“While the matter is under investigation, Headquarters 81 Division requests the family of the deceased to exercise patience and wait for the outcome of the investigation as whoever is found wanting will be made to face disciplinary action.

“The Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for troops’ misconduct or involvement of its personnel in any form of criminality, hence, will not allow this allegation to go unravelled.”

The army, through its statement, also promised Lawal’s family justice.

THERE IS A PATTERN

On August 21, Solomon Adeola, senator representing Ogun West, alleged that “a syndicate of soldiers” at the Ikeja cantonment was responsible for the death of Adeniyi Sanni, his aide.

The senator said Sanni was shot dead after he was stopped at a checkpoint in Lagos where he was questioned about his vehicle papers on August 5.

Adeola stated that Sanni had tried reaching out to his wife on WhatsApp before his phone became unreachable.

He was later found dead with a gunshot wound at Toyota bus stop, Oshodi, Lagos.

While speaking on Lawal’s death to FIJ, Mekowulu also said that allegations of killings of vehicle drivers perpetrated by “soldiers at military checkpoints in Lagos” were becoming rampant.

He said he recently heard that a man had lost his life after stopping to answer questions at the checkpoint.

A bullet hole was found on his body.

These additional incidents clearly show a pattern.