Mohammed Opatola, an Iwo Division Operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Osun State Command, is said to have passed away on Monday after unexpectedly becoming unwell at work.
Social media users assumed the reason of death, while his colleagues provided contradictory versions of what happened before he passed away.
A viral post on WhatsApp suggested that Opatola collapsed immediately after receiving a salary alert for October, which, according to some accounts, did not include promotion arrears expected by NSCDC personnel.
His colleagues, however, denied the allegation, claiming that Opatola carried on with his work prior to being unwell rather than instantly collapsing upon getting his salary.
One colleague, who preferred to remain anonymous, disclosed that, “We were all disappointed when we saw that the promotion arrears were missing from the salary. Opatola, like the rest of us, was disappointed but didn’t collapse immediately. He went back to his office and performed some tasks before he suddenly took ill.”
The source further explained, “He excused himself to the restroom, but after some time passed and he didn’t come out, we checked on him and found him unresponsive on the floor. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.”
Another colleague speculated that Opatola may have suffered from high blood pressure following the alert, noting that employees from other agencies under the Ministry of Interior had received their arrears alongside the October salary, heightening NSCDC personnel’s hopes.
“He was visibly upset when he saw the alert. We all shared our frustrations, but it seems he took it harder,” the colleague added.
A third colleague mentioned that Opatola had been promoted and decorated with his new rank less than a week before his death, making the missing arrears even more disappointing for him.
“He was hale and hearty when he arrived on Monday. After receiving the alert, he appeared troubled and excused himself to the restroom, where he was later found unconscious,” the source said.
