The General Officer Commanding (GOC) Two Division, Brigadier General Chukwunedum Abraham, has given graphic details of how Colonel Anthony Okeyim, Commandant of Command Secondary School in Apata, Ibadan, Oyo State, died in his residence on Monday evening.

Addressing reporters at the headquarters of Two Division in Odogbo, Ibadan, the Garrison Commander, Brigadier General Usman Yussuf, who represented the GOC, expressed worries that the security of such a secured environment was breached, saying it remains a shock.

The Garrison Commander cleared the air on assumptions and rumours on social media on the nature of death of the commandant, stressing that there was no gunshot wound nor cut or laceration on the body save for a blunt trauma wound to his jaw.

His words: “There was hemorrhage from the nostrils and the mouth and impact wound to the jaw – that was all. No other injury on the body, no cut anywhere. The corpse was found intact apart from the hemorrhage (blood) coming out from his nose, like I said, from the impact to the jaw area but the issue of shooting cutting or puncture wound, there is nothing like that.

“The circumstances surrounding the death is still under investigation the military police were there with the intelligence team from the Nigerian Army and our medical team to access the situation.

“We also invited the police to come because of their expertise on forensic handling to come and look at the surrounding and the body and give us the report. We are waiting the police report on that. It is very unfortunate and we are really shocked at how the security of the school was bridged and such an incidence could happen.”

The Garrison Commander further stated that the General Officer commanding Two Division, Brigadier General Abraham, was at the premises of the incidents on Tuesday to assess the sad incidence together with the staff who came with him.

He further told reporters that the school would continue with activities till Friday when students were meant to commence vacation for the year.

“To relieve fear of the public and the parent he directed the Two Division Garrison and the military police to increase the security in the school especially for the students. They have finished and they are suppose to be on holidays but we want to assure the parent that their children are very safe and we would do everything possible to continue to provide them security till they get back their children,” he added.

Bri.-Gen. Yussuf assured parents and guardians of students of the school of the safety of their children, saying that adequate security had been put in place in and around the school premises.

A visit to the school showed that security has been beefed up, as soldiers were seen manning the entrance of the school to scrutinise those going in and out of the premises.

The slain man was recently promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and had not even been decorated before he was allegedly murdered.

It is the first time such incident is occurring in the school since its creation in 1977.

•Adapted from a Channels TV report.

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