Soldiers
went wild yesterday and attacked officers of the Lagos State Taskforce
on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit at Yaba area of
Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
This might not be unconnected with the
‘humiliation’ of an Army Colonel by Governor Babatunde Fashola on
Tuesday for driving on BRT lane.
The soldiers attacked the
taskforce officials with bottles and stones and used knife to puncture
two tyres of the Black Maria used in conveying offenders.
Trouble
started on Murtala Muhammed Way, Yaba close to an Army barracks when the
taskforce officials, who were on patrol to ensure smooth flow of
traffic, spotted a commuter bus parked in the middle of the road and
obstructing traffic.
The tasforce officials were said to have
accosted the driver but a soldier who was sitting in the bus collected
the key from the driver to prevent the taskforce officials from taking
the bus away.
The soldier was said to have called for
reinforcement from the 81 Division barracks and within minutes, several
soldiers trooped out from the barracks and began to haul stones and
other dangerous missiles at the taskforce officials.
Some of the
soldiers were said to be making unsavoury remarks about the governor for
daring to arrest and humiliate an Army Colonel on Tuesday and decided
to vent their anger on the taskforce officials.
As the situation worsened, the taskforce also called for a reinforcement.
It was in the heat of the clash that the tyres of the Black Maria were torn with knife and deflated.
An
eye witness said a top military officer, a Lieutenant, allegedly
ordered his boys to abduct some of the taskforce officials and take them
to the barracks.
Calm was restored when a senior taskforce official intervened and asked his boys to beat a retreat.
Taskforce
Chairman, Bayo Sulaiman confirmed the attack on his men and described
it as an affront on the state government for soldiers to vandalise
government vehicle.
He said it was wrong for soldiers to attack taskforce officials on legitimate duty with stones and other dangerous weapons.
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