A grieving widow of a commercial bus driver, Joseph Okpe, who allegedly died after being assaulted by officers of the Nigerian Air Force along the Oshodi–Apapa Expressway in Lagos, has accused the military of abandoning her family after an initial condolence visit.
Naija News reports that the widow, Grace Joseph, said she had not received any further communication from Air Force representatives since they visited her family shortly after the incident and promised assistance.
According to reports, the late Joseph Okpe, a commercial bus driver, died hours after he was allegedly assaulted by Air Force personnel following a minor traffic dispute involving their vehicle.
In a statement, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, confirmed that the officers involved had been detained and that an investigation was ongoing.
He said the Air Force was saddened by the incident, adding that it had visited the bereaved family and extended condolences as part of its response to the case.
However, speaking in a telephone interview, Grace Joseph said the promises made during the visit had not been fulfilled.
She explained that the officers had given her ₦200,000 during the condolence visit to support the children but had not made any follow-up contact since then.
Grace, a mother of three aged 14, 10, and 5, said the family has been left in emotional and financial distress since the death of her husband, who she described as the sole provider.
She also appealed to the government for assistance, particularly in supporting her children’s education and welfare, stressing that their father’s death had left a major gap in the family’s livelihood.
Recounting the incident, she said her husband left home for work on the day of the tragedy while she went to visit her sister. Later that evening, she received a call informing her that he had been involved in an accident.
She said the family was later told he had been taken to a hospital in Mushin, but he was pronounced dead shortly after.
Grace added that she eventually saw her husband’s body the following morning at the hospital, marking a tragic end to efforts to save him.
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