Soldier/Police Clash: Army Sacks Errant Soldier

Belligerent soldier, Sunday Ayodeji, who spearheaded last week’s clash between soldiers and policemen at Obanikoro area of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria has been sacked from the army.

The army said it investigated and found Ayodeji wanting for instigating the clash that led to pandemonium at Obanikoro and consequently wielded the big stick by sacking him from the military to serve as deterrent to other military personnel.

The General Officer Commanding 81st Division, Kelvin Minimah announced the sack of Ayodeji, who was a Lance Corporal on Monday at a news conference.

According to him, the Army would not condone any act of indiscipline from any of its personnel.

“The Nigerian Army has zero tolerance for any act of indiscipline and misconduct that could cause any form of harm to members of the public or any citizen and this should serve as a deterrent to any member of the army going forward,” he stated.

The soldiers had clashed with the policemen who were trying to stop them from using the BRT lane last Wednesday.

Ayodeji, the soldier who caused the clash on Ikorodu road, prevented policemen from towing his vehicle from the BRT lane.

Trouble had started when a female soldier and a Lance Corporal in separate vehicles drove on the BRT lane and were stopped by the police. The soldiers knew the police were enforcing the ban on the use of the BRT lane when they intentionally took the lane.

The police officers attempted to tow the female soldier’s vehicle but were prevented from doing so by the female soldier who also pleaded with the cops to spare her.

While her plea was ignored, the female soldier who drove in a car with registration number SD 754 KJA attempted to drive away the car by force but unknown to her, an iron spike was placed in front of the car’s tyre while the vehicle climbed it and one of the tyres was punctured.

As the car was being towed out of the BRT lane, Ayodeji, the other soldier in a car with registration number KE 507 EKY, came out of his car to confront the cops.

He concealed his identity by removing the name tag on his uniform.

Ayodeji insulted the police officers and dared anyone to tow his vehicle. Because of his rudeness, the policemen who had earlier allowed almost 10 vehicles being driven by soldiers who violated the use of the BRT lane to go, decided to tow the Lance Corporal’s vehicle.

The Lance Corporal head-butted a police officer who was trying to drive his car away. He manhandled the cop while the police team leader tried to calm him down and restrained his men from retaliating.

The policemen still insisted on towing the vehicle but the Lance Corporal slapped and brutalised the police officers while the policemen kept their cool.

As they struggled with the Lance Corporal, some area boys who were in support of the soldier suddenly went wild, but the police succeeded in arresting some of them and hauled them into the Black Maria. In a sudden twist, the Lance Corporal suddenly feigned being unconscious and collapsed without being touched. He was taken to the road side.

This enraged other soldiers who arrived the scene and clashed with the cops.

A police officer shot tear gas into the air and there was pandemonium in the area as people ran for safety. The Obanikoro Bus stop was deserted.

The soldiers at the scene of the incident vandalised one of the police towing vans and battered the driver of one of the police vehicles but the police rescued him from the scene and took him to a hospital.

Several policemen at the scene fled, sensing danger while only a few remained.

As the situation was being brought under control, the Lance Corporal, who pretended to have fainted, returned to pick his car.

As he was doing that, a large number of armed soldiers were spotted approaching the scene. The remaining policemen at the scene had to beat a retreat to avert more trouble while they abandoned one of their towing vans on the BRT lane.

As the soldiers approached, passers-by had to run to safety to avoid stray bullets hitting them, though there was no exchange of gun shots.

By Kazeem Ugbodaga