Security Guard Brutality Claims Life of Lagos Construction Worker Solomon Odeh
A tragic case of mistaken identity has left a Nigerian family grieving and demanding justice after 35-year-old construction worker Solomon Odeh was fatally assaulted by private security personnel in Lagos.
The Fatal Encounter
According to family accounts, Odeh was returning home from his evening shift at the Eko Atlantic construction site in the early hours of November 7, 2025, when he was intercepted by security guards who accused him of involvement in a robbery.
“They stopped him and claimed there had been a robbery in the area where some people had come to steal iron rods,” said Jackson Eje, Odeh’s cousin, in an interview. “Solomon said he knew nothing about it and explained he was just heading home.”
The situation escalated rapidly when the security personnel began beating Odeh with weapons including machetes. During the assault, Odeh attempted to escape and ran into a drainage canal where he ultimately died.
A Family’s Anguish
Odeh’s disappearance went initially unnoticed because he had forgotten his phone at home. When he failed to return, his roommate began searching and eventually learned from security personnel that someone matching Odeh’s description had been assaulted the previous night.
“His body was recovered by scavengers on Sunday,” Eje recounted. “Solomon left home healthy, never knowing he would never return.”
The tragedy has devastated Odeh’s family. His mother has been emotionally unstable since receiving the news, and his wife of five months—who recently gave birth to their son—has been left without her primary provider.
Justice Delayed?
While two suspects have been arrested, the family expresses concern about the investigation’s pace. The third suspect—reportedly the primary aggressor—remains at large despite having been identified.
“The police delayed sending a formal letter to invite the security company,” Eje noted. “An incident that happened on November 7 should have been investigated swiftly, but as of November 10, the company hadn’t even been formally notified.”
The family faces additional financial burdens in their pursuit of justice, having already paid ₦105,000 for a coroner’s inquest and struggling to raise approximately ₦250,000 for the required autopsy.
Broader Implications for Private Security
This incident raises serious questions about the training and accountability of private security personnel in Nigeria. Rather than following proper procedure and handing suspected individuals to police, the guards took matters into their own hands with fatal consequences.
Eje believes the security personnel “must have been under the influence of something or acted with malicious intent,” noting that “they didn’t follow any professional procedure.”
A Call for Accountability
The family is determined to pursue justice through proper legal channels. “We want the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to ensure all perpetrators are arrested,” Eje stated, “including the security personnel still at large, and to hold the security company accountable.”
Odeh is remembered as a peaceful man focused on providing for his young family. “He was an easy-going person with no criminal record whatsoever,” his cousin emphasized. “What happened to him is a reflection of what’s wrong in Nigeria.”
Source: Punch Nigeria