The family of Solomon Oladimeji, a Nigerian Navy officer killed by a colleague in an argument in Zamfara State in October 2024, is speaking out, demanding justice and accountability from the Navy. The family, led by his brother Solomon Oluwafemi, claims the Nigerian Navy has been negligent in addressing the death and covering up the circumstances surrounding it.
Four months after the tragic incident, Oluwafemi told SaharaReporters that the Nigerian Navy has failed to communicate officially with the family about the death of his brother, leaving them in the dark about the investigation, the motives behind the killing, and any possible compensation for the bereaved family.
The incident that led to Leading Seaman (LS) Oladimeji’s death occurred during an argument with fellow Navy officer, LS Akila, in Dansadau, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara. Both men were serving with the Nigerian Navy as part of the Operation Sheto Yanma task force, formerly known as Operation Hadarin Daji. According to reports, a quarrel escalated when LS Akila shot Oladimeji, ending the life of the officer. The military’s initial reports only mentioned an attack on their team, but it was SaharaReporters’ investigation that exposed the deadly altercation between the two colleagues.
“We feel cheated, abandoned, and betrayed by the Nigerian Navy,” Oluwafemi lamented. “They broke the news of my brother’s death in the most insensitive way, and ever since, not a word has been shared about what happened or what action is being taken against the person responsible for his death.”
Despite the return of his brother’s mobile phones and personal belongings to his widow, Oluwafemi revealed that his late brother’s salary has not been paid since the incident occurred. “The wife of my late brother has not received a single alert for his salary, and there has been no communication from the Nigerian Navy on his entitlements or the future of his family,” he said.
The shocking details about Oladimeji’s untimely death have ignited a growing sense of frustration in the family. According to Oluwafemi, the lack of official information from the Navy is deeply painful, especially when the incident was not caused by insurgents but by one of their own. “If he had died fighting insurgents, we would have understood. But he was killed by his colleague—a fellow Navy officer,” he said, choking back emotion.
In his criticism of the Nigerian Navy, Oluwafemi recounted how the family was told by the Navy that Oladimeji had been killed in an attack in Zamfara. “It was only after SaharaReporters broke the story that we learned the truth. We demanded answers from the Navy, but they have failed to provide a clear explanation of what exactly happened,” he explained.
The Navy’s apparent disregard for the family’s grief echoes a pattern of neglect, as Oluwafemi recalled that his own father, a former Superintendent of Police, was also killed in the line of duty in 1994 without any compensation or acknowledgment from the Nigerian government or the police force. “My father was a three-star Superintendent of Police, and after he was killed on duty, we never saw any form of compensation or support from the police. It’s happening again with my brother. It’s like we are being punished for not having anyone in high places who can fight for us,” he said.
The family’s distress has only deepened with the continued lack of justice for Oladimeji’s death. “My mother, who relied on my brother for support, has fainted four times since his death. She has no one to turn to, and we are struggling to cope with the loss and the silence from the Nigerian Navy,” Oluwafemi added. “Our only breadwinner is gone, and we are left with nothing but questions.”
The Navy’s refusal to provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding Oladimeji’s death and the lack of any investigation into the actions of LS Akila have left the family in despair. According to Oluwafemi, “The Nigerian Navy has not said anything about the person who killed my brother or what is being done about it. No official explanation, no apology, and certainly no justice.”
The anguish of the family is compounded by the fact that the Navy has not offered any form of compensation to Oladimeji’s widow and children, or to his elderly mother who is in critical health due to the shock of her son’s death. “My brother was the one taking care of our mother and his own family. Now, they have nothing,” Oluwafemi said. “We want Nigerians to know what is happening to us, and how the Nigerian Navy has abandoned us in our time of need.”
In his quest for answers, Oluwafemi has expressed frustration at the apparent lack of accountability within the Navy. “Is this how the Nigerian Navy operates? When a tragedy like this occurs, there is no official communication, no visit to the family, and no explanation. They just leave us to suffer in silence.”
Despite the family’s cries for justice, there has been no movement from the Nigerian Navy to address their concerns. “This is the second time my mother is going through this,” Oluwafemi said. “After my father’s death, the government and the police did nothing for us. Now, it’s happening again with my brother. We are being treated as if our lives don’t matter.”
With no answers, no compensation, and no justice, the Oladimeji family is left to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, hoping that their story will reach the ears of those in power, and that the Nigerian Navy will finally take responsibility for the tragic loss of their loved one.
As of now, the Nigerian Navy has not issued any official statement regarding the incident or the family’s allegations of negligence and cover-up.
