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Tag: Ihejirika

  • Northern elders vs. Ihejirika

    RAGING furore over the plan by Northern Elders to prosecute at the International Criminal Court ICC, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Azubuike Ihejirika for alleged human rights abuses in Baga, Borno State should not come as a surprise. The idea is not only viewed as insensitive and controversial but equally fraught with contradictions that may force the touted aim of its sponsors pale into insignificance.

    According to the spokesman of the forum Prof. Ango Abdullahi, their decision to go to the ICC is because of the failure of the Nigerian justice system to guarantee justice in glaring cases of human rights abuses. The forum would want Ihejirika to account for the alleged killings in Baga where the military is prosecuting the war against the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists to serve as a deterrent to others.

    Ordinarily, issues of human rights abuse especially where they have been proven beyond reasonable doubt, should be deprecated by all fair-minded people. This is more so in our clime where over time, governments have been pilloried for their scant regard for human rights. The several cases of such abuses we have had to content with as a nation bear this out.

    But in the instant case, it would appear there is more to the interest of northern elders than genuine concerns for human rights abuses.

    Expectedly, there have been vehement reactions from sections of the Nigerian public to the plan. Those who spoke do not by any dint of the imagination endorse human rights abuses either in Baga or elsewhere. But they have issues with the propriety in selective picking of Ihejirika and the Baga incident as a test case for alleged human rights abuse for ICC adjudication. They contend that our political landscape is littered with a plethora of proven and worst cases of such human rights abuses that have been swept under the carpet and wondered why the forum shut its eyes to these instances if it was moved by wholesome ideals. For this category of people, there is more to the new interest of the forum on human rights issues than ordinarily meets the eyes. At best, the concerns are not only sectional but limited in time and scope and therefore circumscribed by these flaws. Yet, this fact does not in any way encumber the forum from challenging human rights abuses if it has woken up from slumber.

    But there are moral contradictions that have been thrown up by the way these later day human rights converts are going about their current crusade.

    They have issue with the basis for handpicking Ihejirika for prosecution when in reality the war against terrorism is a joint military operation under the command of the Chief of Defence Staff. So on what plank was Ihejirika picked for prosecution? That is the question the northern elders must provide urgent answer to. It is also on account of this incongruity that Igbo elders have alleged ethnic bias and they are within their rights to so insinuate.

    Primordial bias as the leitmotif for the northern elders’ action is further reinforced in the face of their glaring silence in proven cases of human rights abuses in the past. Before now, there were the cases of Odi, Zaki Biam and Katsina Ala. Nothing was heard from the forum then. It could well be that the northerners have been so agitated by events since the prosecution of the war on terrorism that they have now woken up from slumber That could be conceded to them.

    But there are other serious issues that have been thrown up by their decision to challenge the military when serious fighting is still raging between the soldiers and the foreign-backed insurgents.

    There is the issue of the impact of the litigation on the current but difficult war of stamping out terrorism within these shores. There is also the issue of the residue of the sympathy of northern elders in the current war. The impression which their current posture is fast conveying is that they care little on what needed to be done to terminate these senseless and ill-conceived acts of terrorism.

    That ought to be the priority of the forum since the war still rages with prospects of more loss of lives and destruction of properties. Their litigation can also dampen the morale of the military and prolong the war to the detriment of peace, stability and progress in this county. These are some of the drawbacks.

    Ihejirika made references to this contradiction when while reacting to the forum’s threat he said they ought to be grateful to the military for rescuing the region from the stranglehold of Boko Haram. This goes without saying. He also painted a sordid picture of the war when he said there is no senatorial zone in the country that has not lost soldiers in the battle against terrorism.

    When this is juxtaposed against thousands of people that have been killed and maimed in their places of worship or while pursuing their daily living, the mortal danger posed by Boko Haram stares us on the face. It is therefore premature and patently insensitive for a forum of elders to be talking of prosecuting Ihejirika or any other person when we are yet to get a final handle to the Boko Haram menace. It is not in the character of elders to create conditions for situations to exacerbate.

    Their plan has inadvertently resonated sectional and religious sentiments that may pose some impediments to the overall fight against terrorism. This is not the first time Ihejirika is being harassed, blackmailed and intimidated since he became the Chief of Army Staff. Sometime last year, he was harangued by moles in the army and elsewhere opposed to the reforms he had initiated. They had bandied questionable statistics from a single recruitment exercise in the army to simulate a plan to ‘Igbonize’ the army. He had also been accused by fifth columnists apparently from the same north of pursuing a plan to avenge the killing of the Igbo during the civil war. That was at the heat of the Boko Haram crisis that saw the bombing of the nation’s highest military training institution at Jaji, Kaduna State. Curiously also, the tirade from northern elders came few days after Ihejirika was retired from the army. So if ethnic bias is read into the inexplicable posturing of northern elders, it stands on very strong foundation and cannot be wished away.

    Beyond this, the war against terrorism is a very difficult one that should call for utmost caution in actions and utterances. By the modus operandi of the terrorists, it is very difficult to say who a Boko Haram member really is. President Jonathan captured this dilemma succinctly when he said sometime ago that there were members of Boko Haram in his cabinet. They live with the people and have severally used this advantage as a decoy to attack both the military and civilians.

    Some of the purported excesses of the military were largely due to inability to differentiate between the insurgents and the ordinary people. That was the genesis of what has come to be known in that part of the country as a civilian Joint Task Force.

    Dissatisfied with the hide and seek strategy of the terrorists and the risks it posed to their lives, civilians had to form vigilante groups to fish out the insurgents in their midst. Such is the delicate nature of the fight. Such a situation calls for caution, maturity and understanding rather than the brash manner the elders have now chosen to respond to the festering monster. But then, whose brief is the forum holding: that of Boko Haram or civilians caught in the cross fire?

  • Igbos dare Northern elders on Ihejirika

    Igbos dare Northern elders on Ihejirika

    Igbo elders on Wednesday dared Northern elders to carry through their threat to drag former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, to The Hague over alleged human rights abuses in the fight against terrorism in the country.

    The South East elders also asked President Goodluck Jonathan to redress the omission of “Ndigbo in the council of security chiefs of the country.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Senator Uche Chukwumerije, spoke on behalf of Igbo elders at a news conference in Abuja.

    Chukwumerije said the threat of Northern Elders Forum to drag the immediate past COAS and six others to the International Criminal Court of Justice (ICC) in The Hague is capable of unleashing a national ill-wind that will do no one any good in the country.

    He noted that the approach of the Northern Elder Forum to a national problem is “selective, patently biased, apparently in search of preconceived culprits, pointedly indifferent to the demands of national unity, and highly provocative to the sensibilities of all who genuinely desire the unity and stability of this country.”

    Though he emphasized that senseless sacrifice of a human life is indefensible, the lawmaker noted that violations of human rights have remained the bane of Africa.

    He said, “A society that has no respect for human life is nearer the status of a community of animals. But the situation in the universally acknowledged difficult terrain of a borderless war such as terrorism, counter terrorism and guerilla-like conflicts offers a unique challenge.”

    Chukwumerije, who spoke at the National Assembly added: “The motives of Prof. Ango Abdullahi and co are obviously beyond concerns about violations of human rights. This is so because the incident of Bama (Baga) has been investigated and put to rest long ago.

    “For instance, the Senate sent a strong team to the area in June 2013 after the incident. After a thorough on-the-spot investigation which extended to interviews with all concerned officials (Director of SSS, State Governor, Commander of the Multi-National Joint Task Force, and stakeholders of the community) and visit to the grave yard, the Senate Committee concluded as follows: ‘the death toll of 185 was exaggerated but there may be more than 37 deaths.”

    Chukwumerije, who said the Senate endorsed the report noted that “definitely, there were no massacres to the scale that demanded the judicial sanctions of The Hague.

    He posed three questions: “Why the blatantly selective search for responsibility in Bama (Baga) and why so personal?

    “Every citizen (including Prof. Ango Abdullahi) knows that the anti-terrorism campaign in the North is a joint-military operation under the command of the Chief of Defence Staff.

    “In singling out Lt. General Ihejirika, the then Army boss, the likes of Prof. Ango Abdullahi are merely betraying old prejudices and embarking on new hazardous search for bad names to hang hated dogs.

    “Besides, the fact that Prof. Ango Abdullahi and co sprung into action immediately Lt. General Ihejirika and ‘six others’ left their commands has revealed the depth of long-smoldering resentment of the campaign against Boko Haram by the self-proclaimed leaders of the North.

    The position of the Northern Elders Forum, he said, “raises a question about where their sympathy lies in this battle” against Boko Haram.

    Chukwumerije further asked, “Why single out Bama (Baga) incident for Hague’s adjudication?”

     

  • Boko Haram will soon be history, says Army Chief Ihejirika

    Boko Haram will soon be history, says Army Chief Ihejirika

    As the world military organised joint sea exercise to rid Nigeria’s waters and islands of unscrupulous elements, the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, yesterday said Boko Haram would soon be history.

    Ihejirika spoke at Takwa Bay, Lagos after “Africa Winds”, an exercise organised by the United States’ Africa Partnership Station, APS.

    Armed forces from the US, UK, Spain, The Netherlands and Nigeria took part in the exercise.

    Troops were drawn from the 65 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Bonny Cantonment, Victoria Island; the Special Boat Service (SBS), Navy Town, Ojo, while ariel coverage was provided by the Nigerian Navy Air Station, US Marine Corps, Nigerian naval ships and special landing boats from The Netherlands.

    Ihejirika, who said there was need for all agencies and stakeholders to be brought onboard the war against insurgency, admitted that the Nigerian Armed Forces had in the past approached the war against on a wrong footing.

    The army chief said the military has restrategised in order to tackle all security loopholes in the ongoing war against terrorism, piracy, sea robbery and bunkering.

    “We went into the operation in the North East without a joint deployment training, nevertheless, I am impressed with the level of cooperation so far.

    “We have taken concrete measures to improve the level of effectiveness of the operation, such as ground to air communication, to enable the Nigerian Army and Air Force communicate which was not there before.

    “Though there has been limited success with the operation in the North East, I am optimistic there will be improvement soon,” he said.

    Ihejirika expressed optimism that the skills acquired by the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy during the exercise alongside the experiences shared with the navies from four nations would enhance the war against insurgence and illegal bunkering.

    While addressing the troops after the beach landing of attack forces trained to attack and recover enemy strongholds, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, expressed satisfaction at the level of preparedness and fitness of military personnel.

    He described the joint exercise as a milestone achievement recorded by the participating countries in the area of strategic partnership, just as he insisted that only a multinational and joint agency corporations could completely eradicate crime across maritime space.

  • Army determined to tackle security challenges — Ihejirika

    Army determined to tackle security challenges — Ihejirika

    The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. Onyeabor Azubike Ihejirika, has assured Nigerians that the army under his command will find solutions to the numerous security challenges facing the country.

    Ihejirika said the army had been working in conjunction with the civilians in the country for the security of the nation, adding that the security of life and property in any part of the country would never be compromised by the military.

    The COAS said, “The issue of kidnapping, armed robbery and Boko-Haram will soon be a thing of the past in any part of the country, as we are determined to help other security agencies to combat crimes in any part of the country at the shortest notice.”

    He described security as the basis for even development in the country, adding that the military would do everything within its powers to ensure the security of the country at all times, so that investors who have things to do in the country will find a conducive environment to operate.”

    Speaking in Umuahia during the 9th Biennial Training Conference 2013 for the Nigerian Army Finance Corps (NAFC), Ihejirika said that the conference will help the military to assess what they have done in the last one year and also project into the future.

    Ihejirika, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding 82 Division Enugu, Gen. Adebayor Olaniyi, said that the conference with the theme, ‘Transforming the Nigerian Army towards Meeting Security Challenges and National Development: the Role of NAFC’, would help them to examine the army finance corps and also find ways to manage the scarce resources available to them.

    The COAS assured that the conference would also help them to find ways to finance their military operations in all their peace keeping missions, stressing that the army finance corps have shown transparency in their dealings through the use of SMS to alert members when they are paid.

    He commended the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji, for his support to the military formations in the state, which he said had led to reduction in kidnapping and other violent crimes in the states.

    In his speech, the state governor, Chief Theodore Orji, noted that the military has been partners of progress in the rebuilding of the state after the dark era of kidnappings and other violent crimes that ravaged the state sometime in the past.

    Orji said that the military presence in the state has helped to to stabilise the security in the state and has “made us to have the courage to build all the legacy projects we have done across the length and breadth of the state within a short period.”

    He commended the army for choosing the state to hold their 9th biennial training conference, saying that it has gone a long way to tell the whole world that the state is peaceful and secured, “therefore making it one of the safest states in the country.”

    The governor assured the army of the readiness of his administration to come to their aid whenever it is called upon, stressing that whatever achievement his government had recorded was as result of the partnership with the military.

    In his welcome speech, the Chief of Accounts and Budget (Army), Gen. Abdullahi Muraina, said that the transformation agenda of the present administration has helped the military to transform itself to face the security challenges in the country in recent times.

    Gen. Muraina said the army is committed to helping the civilians to combat crimes in many states across the country, adding that the experience has not only been tasking but also very expensive despite the challenges of unqualified staff.

  • Army will find solutions to insecurity – COAS

    Army will find solutions to insecurity – COAS

    The Chief of Army Staff [COAS] Gen. Azubike Ihejirika, has assured Nigerians that the army will find solutions to the numerous security challenges facing the country.

    He said the army has been working in conjunction with the civilians in the country for the security of the nation, adding that the security of life and property in any part of the country will never be compromised for any reason by the military.

    He spoke Umuahia during the 9th Biennial Training Conference for Nigerian Army Finance Corps.

    The COAS, who was represented by the General Officer Commanding 82 Division Enugu, Gen. Adebayor Olaniyi, said the conference which has the theme: “Transforming the Nigerian Army towards Meeting Security Challenges and National Development: the Role of NAFC, “ will help them to examine the army finance corps and also find ways to manage the scarce resources available to them.

    Gen. Ihejirika said the conference will help the military to access what they have done in the last one year and project into the future.

    “The issue of kidnappings, armed robbery and Boko-Haram will soon be a thing of the past in any part of the country. This is because we are determined to help other security agencies to combat crimes in any part of the country at the shorts notice,” he stated.

     

  • Army‘ll win terrorism war, says Ihejirika

    Army‘ll win terrorism war, says Ihejirika

    The army will win the war against insurgency, Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika assured Nigerians yesterday. He said the events of the last two weeks were enough lessons for security agents.

    Gen. Ihejirika spoke at the Second Commanding Officers Workshop at the one Mechanised Division of the Army in Kaduna.

    Gen. Ihejirika said: “Yes, you have had few cases of soldiers relating with the adversaries. But, as a unit commander worth its onions, you can turn such a soldier into an asset, a veritable asset, you can use such soldiers to track the enemy rather than the enemy having the advantage. This is why as a unit commander you must be alert always, because there are no excuses.”

    Apparently referring to the recent attack on military formations in Borno State where some members of the Joint Task Force were killed, the Army chief said “now there is the challenge of counter terrorism and counter insurgency.

    “If you go through the books, there are definitions of these two concepts; but one thing that is wrong with most definitions is that terrorism has to do with terror.

    “When we are talking about insurgency, you are talking about aggression most likely with the use of fire arms. So, we are training you to fight terror and also insurgency. So, all the traditional methods of fighting aggression will still have to be brought to bear in fighting insurgency. It is only the environment that will modify your style.

    “I have not seen much of tactics or even strategy in our actions so far. But I wish to recall what I said sometime when I gave out several principles. The first factor I identified as militating against our effort was lack of mode.

    “So, as commanding officers, your first task is to get your officers and soldiers to realise that you are in an operational situation and once you get that right, things will continue to fall in place. Otherwise, if you allow the situation to fall by in an operational area, and unit commanders, officers and others decided to stay in air conditioned houses, how safe will you feel?

    “We do not have to learn the hard way, but if as a commanding officer you stroll out in the evening and in the night and look at your environment and look at how safe your troops are and put yourself in the position of the attacker, I am sure you will come up with several ideas of how to deal with the problems. So you must all get into the mode.

    “What has happened in the past two weeks and months are enough lesson for everybody. We do not have to go back to the rudiments of knowing that what to do under fire situation is to craw and peel your heels.”

    General Officer Commanding One Mechanised Division, Maj. Gen. Garba Wahab, said the workshop is one of the series of strategies by the army headquarters to ensure capacity building of officers and men.

    According to him, the challenges facing the country “are real and for the Nigerian Army to raise its level of performance, it requires up grading of its personnel’s knowledge, identify the problems and adopt appropriate policies that will affect the changes required.”

     

  • COAS decries crime surge in barracks

    COAS decries crime surge in barracks

    In a bid to stem the rising wave of crimes and decadence within the barracks, the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, has charged the chaplain services in the force to work towards cleansing the system.

    Ihejirika, who spoke at the annual seminar and retreat held by the Roman Catholic Chaplaincy of the Nigerian Army in Lagos, urged the priests working for the force to ensure that moral vices, which bring problems within the barrack are eradicated.

    He said despite the God given geographical location of the country, ethnic tendencies, nepotism and corruption have brought many problems including terrorism.

    The army chief noted that the chaplains must ensure that these vices are fought both from outside and within.

    He was represented by the Commandant of the Nigerian Army Signal School, Gen. Donald Oji.

    Ihejirika said: “We all know how much a herculean task this has become in recent times because of the incessant intrusion of threats of corruption, nepotism, negative tribalistic and ethnic tendencies and what is worse, the new wave of terrorism.

    “As we battle these, we cannot overlook the fact that there are still traces of gross misconducts, rape, drunkenness and social dichotomy and other related crimes from within.”

    He urged the Chaplains to see themselves as prime collaborators in eschewing these vices from within and outside the barracks.

     

     

  • Soldiers leak tactics to Boko Haram, says Chief of Army Staff

    Soldiers leak tactics to Boko Haram, says Chief of Army Staff

    DISLOYAL soldiers were warned yesterday to stop fraternising with enemies of the state.

    Some military men have been leaking information to the Boko Haram insurgents, who the military are battling in three Northeast states.

    Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, who issued the warning, revealed that the attack on a Mali-bound military convoy in Kogi State early this year followed the leaking of information on their movement to the insurgents.

    Two soldiers were killed after the ambush on 190 troops who were travelling through Kogi State enroute Kaduna on their way to Mali on January 19.

    Factional Boko Haram group Ansaru claimed responsibility for the attack.

    Gen. Ihejirika said a suspect, who is a soldier, is in detention, waiting for court martial in connection with the leakage.

    Gen. Ihejirika, spoke yesterday at the opening ceremony of a three-day Army Transformation Seminar in Abuja. The theme is: “Building Capacity of the Nigerian Army to meet Contemporary Challenges”.

    The military chief said: “Let me use this opportunity to warn officers and soldiers who indulge in giving out information both from Army Headquarters and other formations.

    “Certain vital information had one way or the other worked negatively in our operations. There are also some other soldiers that have been found posting negative comments in the internet and also some have been engaging in conversing with insurgents.”

    President Goodluck Jonathan once alleged that Boko Haram men had infiltrated the government.

    Early this month, the police arrested one of its men for allegedly leaking the information that led to the ambush of security agents who were on a mission to arrest some suspected cultists in Nasarawa State.

    No fewer than 56 security agents were killed instantly. The bodies of 45 others earlier declared missing were allegedly discovered in a mass grave later.

    Gen. Ihejirika observed that the seminar came at the right time – when the country is grappling with security challenges.

    According to him, some of the challenges pose serious threats to the corporate existence of the nation.

    He said the Directorate of Military Intelligence, the Military Police and commanders in the field have been detailed to strengthen their monitoring operations.

    He expressed confidence in the capacity of the Armed Forces to meet contemporary security challenges.

    Said he: “I have also noted the series of lectures outlined in the programme which are central to management and human resource development in the Army.

    “The theme was central to the attainment of my vision, which is to transform the army into a force better and able to meet contemporary challenges”.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Thompson Sekibo, lauded the Armed Forces for the sacrifice they have made in their line of duty and in furtherance of national interest and cohesion.

    He praised the officers and men for their steadfastness in standing up to the nation’s security challenges.

    According to him, the professionalism, patriotism and selflessness with which the officers and men respond to internal security challenges, especially the spate of terrorism, are both reassuring and commendable.

    The senator said the National Assembly was working assiduously to ensure that the demands of the Armed Forces are addressed.

    The Chief of Army Transformation, Maj-Gen. Ibrahim Sani, said the essence of Army transformation was to achieve greater effectiveness to meet contemporary challenges and to prepare for emerging and evolving future threats.

    “The essence of the Nigerian Army Transformation is for greater effectiveness of the army’ an army ready for today’s challenges and prepared for the emerging and evolving future threats.

    “This requires the Nigerian Army to think differently and develop the kind of force and capabilities that can adapt quickly to the myriad of evolving contemporary threats,” Gen. Sani emphasised.

    According to him, the Army Transformation and Innovation Centre recognises the importance of human resource element in the attainment of the vision of the Chief of Army Staff.

  • Obada, Fashola, Ihejirika task media on Boko Haram

    Obada, Fashola, Ihejirika task media on Boko Haram

    The Minister of State for Defence; Erelu Olusola Obada, the Lagos State governor; Mr. Babatunde Fashola ( SAN) and the Chief of Army Staff; Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, on Tuesday admonished journalists to put national interest before every other pecuniary gains while reporting activities of the Boko Haram sect.

    They argued that regular attention given to the sect by various media organizations in the country has emboldened the group.

    The trio spoke at the opening of a three-day interactive session on Military –Media Relations in Nigeria, held at the 81 Division Auditorium, Marina, Lagos.

    The theme of the workshop is: “Enhancing Military-Media Relations Towards Improved Security.”

    Obada, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the event, said media practitioners must do away with sensational reporting of the sect’s onslaught in the country.

    She said the Federal Government recognized the unique role of journalists in a democratic setting, stressing that it was the realization of this fact that made President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the Freedom of Information ( FoI) Act in May 2011.

    Ihejirika in his opening address said the primary goal of terrorists is to win the attention of the media, national and foreign publics and decision- makers in a government.

    The COAS stated that it is for this reason that terrorists carefully select the places in which they carry out their attacks in order to get the best media coverage.

    He added the terrorists also use the media to publicize their political causes, convey the motives for their terrorist deeds and explain their rationale for resorting to violence.

    Speaking further, Ihejirika said the sect recruit its followers, mostly the uneducated and the disgruntled, through a “covert radicalization” process that assures all adherents of many “heavenly benefits” once they kill non-adherents.

    He said, “They operate in packet or cells and rely on media propaganda to entice new followers and draw sympathy across the Muslim world. It has also been established that they get their funding from bank robberies, payment of protection fees through intimidation of individuals and through external funding.

    “There is also a strong link between the Boko Haram sect and terrorists in the Maghreb including the rebels in Mali who provide them with training, funding and weapons. Their use of IEDs and the adoption of suicide bombing tactics is a clear indication that the Boko Haram sect has no value for human life and the people they claim to represent.”

    Fashola on his part urged media practitioners, while reporting Boko Haram activities, to avoid anything that would make the public to panic.

    “ I understand that in the media industry there is a need to ensure a positive balance sheet at the end of the year. But this has to be done with caution. What is the need of having a positive balance sheet when there is tension and acrimony in the land? This is a question the media practitioners must ask themselves.

    “Security is the most critical role of government. Safety of lives of people kept in my care as head of government either at the state or at the national level is a very important task. It is different from other roles. I can reconstruct the roads and the bridges, provide pipe borne water etc, but I cannot recreate lives that had been lost, “the governor said.

     

     

  • Ihejirika must hear this!

    Ihejirika must hear this!

    SIR: I wish to draw the attention of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika to the victimization and harassment of innocent civilians in the hands of some soldiers of Asabari 244 Recee Battalion, Saki, Oyo State.

    There was a party holding at Dove Merdian Hotel (a.k.a Eleyele Hotel) at Oje-Owode in Saki-East Local Government area of Oyo State on Saturday, December 29, 2012. The party was going on smoothly until the arrival of two soldiers. With their arrival, argument broke out and the soldiers started using the sticks in their possession to beat people and at a point they started breaking bottles and they threw the hitherto peaceful party into a chaos.

    Many bottles were broken, many wooden doors were destroyed, many glass doors and windows were destroyed and many people were seriously wounded. Summarily, these two soldiers caused confusion leading to destruction of properties worth about a million naira.

    The soldiers of this barrack were noted to be civilized before now but one wonders why they had been misbehaving since the arrival of the current commanding officer.

    They (the soldiers) harass, intimidate and beat up innocent citizens as if they cannot be checked. A lot of innocent citizens have been dehumanized and terrorized by these soldiers. This write up is necessary so that the commanding officer can be advised to caution his soldiers in the way they pounce on innocent civilians.

    • Ajetoro Ololade,

    Sango, Saki,

    Oyo State.