Soldiers storm Warri hospital over John Togo's corpse

There was palpable tension in Warri, Delta State, on Thursday as officers of the Nigeria military flooded the Warri Central Hospital, ostensibly to prevent the supposed corpse of a wanted militant in the Niger Delta, John Togo, from being tampered with.


The fierce-looking soldiers, who warned journalists to steer clear of the hospital situated along Warri-Sapele road, around the Nigeria Ports Authority, our correspondent gathered, were ordered to ensure that loyalists to Togo did not overrun the hospital and take the body of the militant leader.

The controversy over the whereabouts of the dissident had raised fresh controversies on Wednesday when a decomposed body said to be that of the militant was exhumed by men of the military Joint Task Force.

The remains were reportedly deposited at the morgue of the hospital, where only the leadership of the JTF, members of the State Security Service and the police were allowed access.

Our correspondent further gathered from a highly placed military source that Togo must have been killed in the last encounter with the JTF, after his loyalists allegedly attacked soldiers on routine patrol.

“We know that John Togo is actually dead, but there are so many issues that are involved which I do not have the mandate to speak on. It is not just about announcing that he is dead, but a lot of things will have to be considered.” He, however, failed to elaborate when he was pressed further.

Similarly, a top ranking member of the force, who said he had not received any “order” to speak on the matter, noted that the ‘late’ Togo’s body was discovered in a shallow grave during a mop-up operation late Wednesday.

He said, “Nobody led us to the grave as you people have been made to believe. It was when we were engaging in a mop-up action after the last encounter that we saw the shallow grave.

“We have a duty to provide security and I must tell you I have never met John Togo, but after his attack on our men, we felt it was time to end this whole thing.”

When contacted, the JTF’s Media Coordinator, Lt.-Col. Timothy Antigha, told The PUNCH that he was on his way to Warri and would address journalists on the issue immediately he arrived. But at the time of filing this report, he was still being expected to effect the proposed meeting with journalists.

It was also learnt that Togo’s deputy, who was also in charge of his armoury, died along with him as a consequence of the air raid on Togo’s camp, known as Camp Israel.

When a house supposedly owned by Togo on John Togo Street, in Orhuwhorun, Warri, was visited, it was deserted, but his neighbour, expressed surprise at the “noise” about him.

The middle-aged man who would not want his name in print said, “Why is it now that his case has become an issue. Even when this man was declared wanted by the Federal Government, he would still drive here with a convoy of cars, guarded by mobile policemen.

“In fact his house is closely watched by these same MOPOL. Are they telling us they didn’t know it was Togo that was living in that house and was being guarded by officers of the forces? See, this road to his house was tarred by the Niger Delta Development Commission. Are they telling Nigerians that Togo did not influence the tarring of the road? It’s just that we keep deceiving ourselves in this country,” he snapped.

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