Controversy Trails Death Of Naval Commander Ikoli – Penciled For Naval Chief Position

There are reports of possible assassination in the death of fleet commander of the Western Naval Command, Nigerian Navy, Teikumo Ikoli. Ikolu was found dead in his Lagos home, on Wednesday, the Navy had said, adding that “the cause of Ikoli’s death had not been known, but investigation has commenced. “In the early hours of Wednesday April 5, 2017, gunshots were heard in the vicinity where Rear Admiral Teikumo Daniel Ikoli resides in Apapa, Lagos,” Spokeswoman for the Western Naval Command, Chinwe Umar, said in a statement.

Greennews.ng gathered that the Rear Admiral was found in his apartment with a bullet launched into his heart, stone dead. It is unclear if he shot himself or he was shot by someone else.

His children school abroad, while his wife was said be in Abuja when the incident happened. His orderly and Naval Assistant (NA), according to sources, usually goes home after dropping him. “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 suggested he might have been scared of something or someone, close aide told The Guardian.

The aide added; “He was a nice and intelligent officer. He was the one who spearheaded the renovations at BEECROFT when he was commander. It’s really a sad news.” While attempt to unravel the cause of his mysterious death is ongoing, it has emerged that Ikoli who recently earned a special promotion to his present rank from Commodore to Rear Admiral, may have been assassinated.

Ikoli who is loved by President Buhari, was appointed to serve on the arms deal probe panel – a panel that has opened a can of worms on the mismanagement of funds meant for weapons purchase – now dubbed the infamous Dasukigate scandal.

The respected Naval commander was also said to have been penciled down by the Presidency as the next Chief of Naval Staff. “He really complimented President Buhari on his anti-corruption war and I think that was why he was appointed to serve on the arms deal probe panel. He was in the running to emerge chief of naval staff, some officers have told NAN.

 

Quoting authoritative sources at the command, NAN reports that Ikoli may have been assassinated as he had no cause to kill himself. “Ikoli has been penciled down by the President as the next Chief of Naval Staff; he recently earned a special promotion to his present rank from Commodore,” a source told NAN on Friday in Lagos. “He was on the panel probing arms deal which also affects the Armed Forces, including the Navy.

“Ikoli was a disciplined, gentle, straightforward and honest man, who had no regard for protocol. It is nothing but a murder case.”

The source also said that because of his performance as the commander, NNS Beecroft, he was loved by all officers and the junior ones.

He said: “Ikoli transformed the place by introducing smart I.D. cards and increasing special duty allowance from N4, 000 to N12, 000.

“Everybody is aware that he was an introvert, but he made sure that things worked properly and he had respect for all and zero tolerance for corruption.

“He really complimented President Buhari on his anti-corruption war and I think that was why he was appointed to serve on the arms deal probe panel.

“His elevation as the next Chief of Naval Staff would have been announced if not for the president’s trip to London for medical checkup.”

Another officer, who said he worked with him, also told NAN that the late Ikoli was an easy going man who did not believe in bothering people.

“At the close of work, he usually allows his aides to go home and stay with their families. In most cases, he will be the one to open the gate of his residence for visitors using a remote control.

“The officer would not have killed himself; it is pure case of assassination. There is a mystery surrounding his death; for instance, the two ambulances they brought to take him to the mortuary refused to move. “It was when they brought his service car and transferred the body into it that they were able to take his corpse to the morgue,” he said Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command Thursday said it had begun a holistic investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Ikoli and will conduct autopsy on his corpse.