4th February, 2011
For daring to ask for a rider’s permit from an unidentified soldier on a motorcycle in Obalende, an official of the Motorcycle Operators Association Of Lagos State, MOALS, Eti-Osa unit, Ikoyi, Lucky Ojo, is now in hospital receiving treatment from the battering he received from the soldier and his colleagues.
Irked by the effrontery of the MOALS official to demand for his permit to operate a commercial motorcycle popularly called Okada, the enraged soldier in a plain clothe, pounced on him after dropping off his passenger and pumelled him to a pulp, assisted by two other colleagues around the Obalende Bus Stop.
Witnesses at the scene disclosed that the soldier slapped the official and when he protested the assault, the soldier invited two of his colleagues around to help him deal with the Okada official.
The soldier was later arrested by military police personnel from Dodan Barracks following a distress call from colleagues of the victim. The other two soldiers escaped on sighting the military personnel.
Narrating his ordeal to P.M.NEWS, the victim said: ”I approached the Okada man (soldier) to show me his motorcycle operation rider’s card because he was dropping off a passenger. Instead of identifying himself, he barked at me, saying ‘are you mad, don’t you know that I am a soldier.’ Before I could utter a word, he alighted from his motorcycle and slapped me twice. I did not retaliate and he drove off only for him to come back with two others. They descended on me and used their iron belts to beat me. They inflicted injuries all over my head and body.
“I thank the military police for their quick response, otherwise, they would have killed me.”
An attempt to talk with the accused at Dodan Barracks was rebuffed by the authorities but a source confirmed that the accused has been locked up in a guardroom and will soon be handed over to the police for necessary action.
Principal officer to the Chairman of MOALS, Ikoyi-Obalende chapter, Mr. Peter Ayodele, described the action of the soldier as a surprise.
”We are partners in progress with the Nigerian Army and the Police and the soldiers at Dodan Barracks are very disciplined and responsible.
”But this soldier who assaulted our official was not in uniform and he did not identify himself while dropping off a passenger. That is why my official asked him of his rider’s card,” he stated.
—Paul Iyoghojie