Major General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede
COAS orders probe of alleged soldiers’ brutality in Abuja
A viral video circulating on social media depicting a senior army officer and two soldiers brutalising a man in Abuja is a subject of Nigerian Army probe.
The Acting Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt-General Olufemi Oloyede, ordered probe of the incident allegedly perpetrated by a Major General and his escorts, who were seen assaulting the man for ‘overtaking’ their vehicle.
In the 1: 57 minutes video, the man was seen groaning in pain and saying “How did I pass your car! How did I pass your car! Oh My God!”, while being brutalised by the soldiers.
However, the soldiers ignored his cry and pains, while inflicting more beating on the man. A woman was heard shouting in the background, “He is not feeling fine! He’s not feeling fine! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!”
The army personnel also attacked the female passenger for recording the encounter.
“Give me the phone! Give me the phone!”, one of the soldiers was heard saying while attacking the woman.
The video has since sparked outrage online, with other reports saying that the man is suing, and demanding N150 million compensation and the dismissal of the Major General.
However, the Acting Chief of Army Staff has now ordered an investigation into the brutality.
A statement signed by Director Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu on Tuesday, said, “The attention of the Nigerian Army (NA) has been drawn to a viral audio-visual recording circulating on social media platforms, purportedly showing a senior Army officer and 2 other soldiers in an altercation with a man and woman within the Abuja metropolis.
“The circumstances leading to this incident are not clear at the moment. However, the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has ordered an immediate investigation to unravel the true circumstances surrounding this altercation.
“The NA remains committed to serving and protecting all law-abiding Nigerians as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He assured Nigerians that due diligence will be applied to reach a logical conclusion on the matter.