The Army authorities, yesterday, in Lagos, said the Lance Corporal who was knocked down and killed by a BRT bus along Ikorodu Road last Friday, was not riding motorbike on the BRT lane as widely reported.
Rather, the deceased, according to the Army, was crushed to death on the normal lane plied by other motorists, maintaining also that soldiers were not responsible for the damage done to BRT buses but hoodlums who hijacked the situation.
This is just as the Nigerian Army has taken a swipe at Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, over a statement credited to him describing the Army as ‘mad,’ while reacting to the incident at a public function last week.
Army blasts Soyinka
The army in a statement made available to newsmen and signed by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Omale Ochagwuba, said: “In a situation where a respected elder statesman will stand up in a public function and based on hear-say call a respected professional organisation like the Nigerian Army which is one of the major pillars of democracy and fighting to keep the country together as mad, is unfortunate and unbecoming.
“In less than a week, he has made two careless offensive statements. At times, he seems to speak before weighing the consequences of his statement.
“The Nigerian Army is a professional force which is law-abiding like any other citizen. The military is a highly disciplined organisation which also takes necessary steps to see that its erring members are brought to book at any time the need arises to enforce discipline.”
How the soldier was killed
To set the records straight, Ochagwuba explained that: “On July 4, a Lance Corporal of Nigerian Army, who was on his way to the office on Ikorodu Road around Obanikoro area between 6:30 and 6:45am, was knocked down and killed by a BRT bus with number plate KSF 995 XJ.
“It is pertinent to state here that the late soldier was riding a power bike approved by the state government and he was neither riding inside a BRT lane nor was the BRT bus that killed him driving inside the BRT lane.
“The innocent law-abiding soldier was killed on the normal lane being plied by everybody as against what is being alleged by some sections of the media. The soldier was hit from the rear and killed instantly.
“As stated earlier in our release, the mayhem visited on the BRT buses was the handiwork of hoodlums who seized the opportunity of the tragic situation to vent their anger on the buses for reasons best known to them.
“We know the peculiar nature of Lagos where miscreants always take advantage of situations like this to cause havoc.
“In a situation like this, people are bound to wrongfully accuse soldiers because they were seen around the offending bus which was not even attacked. With careful analysis of the incident, one will observe that the BRT buses vandalised were far removed from the scene of the accident.
Soldiers wrongly accused
“It is pertinent to once more remind the good people of Lagos that the BRT bus in question that killed the soldier and triggered the tragic consequences was neither vandalised nor burnt.
“It was same soldiers who are being wrongfully accused of burning buses and causing mayhem, which is not true, that secured the BRT bus and protected it from hoodlums before it was later towed into the barracks for safety and also prevented the hoodlums from causing further mayhem on the road and cleared the route for traffic to flow.
“We have pictures of the bus at the scene of the accident and while it was being towed away to safety. The bus in question has since been released to the BRT management.
“The question begging for answer now is: why is the bus itself that killed the soldier which was already in soldiers hands not vandalised or burnt? Is it not logical that, it should have been the first target of their anger as alleged?
“These are hard times for Nigerians and all hands should be on the deck to bring peace to the country rather than inflame passion. The Lagos State Government, which is supposed to be the most aggrieved party, did not jump into conclusions. The Lagos State Government said they are investigating. That is a matured way of handling situation rather than reacting on public opinion.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Well. But it is not befitting of a Nobel laureate to comment or issue statements without listening to two sides of a story. Soyinka should be circumspect before issuing statements. He must investigate or get to the root of any matter first before commenting.
ReplyDeleteThe Nigerian army is far from being matured but guilty of lies and stealing.soldiers were caught vandalizing,beating and stealing phones from innocent Nigerians.
DeleteWe are all disappointed at our cowardly soldiers.
It will take a long time for u to earn ur respect from Nigerians,Africans and the world at large.
There is no chance for a snow ball in hell for u to lie ur way out of this ones as u always do with boko haram tales.
The Nigerian army is not a profession, talk less of respected. It is a collection of over ambitious half illiterates who are happy to use the guns given to them by tax payers money to harass, intimidate and kill same innocent tax payers. Prof Soyinka is correct, it is an organization of mad people. It is even more than that, the biggest liars and cowards who blatantly deny facts on video and before the public also cone from the Nigerian army. They have no shame and no respect that is why they can speak back to the Noble Laureate like that. Sad
ReplyDeleteNigerian army has a history of this type of behaviour, rushing out of their barracks with weapons because one of theirs had a misunderstanding with someone in the street. The army needs to be disbanded so that the members and their officers can go look for work as truck pushers, because that's all they are qualified to do. Nigerians in uniform, including military, police, road safety, etc are very abusive and disrespectful of the citizenry. Once in uniform, they think they are above the law. That's why we remain a backward nation.
ReplyDeleteMy advice for you is to aquire a lawyer for the 2 parts u sabi talk... wole soyinka is old enought to settle matter not to be putting petrol again .....yoruba elders and bokoharam are the one spoiling this country
ReplyDeleteI think old age is catching up with him and i think that should be expected, and to those who always invite him for speech pls take it calm wt him don't make enemies for him b/4 he goes to his grave.
ReplyDeleteNigerian Army need to behave like a professional organization.
ReplyDeleteI think the nigerian army is a well respected organisation, not only that they put their life on the line to make this country peacefull but they are also underpaid...offcourse because of their training and mentality of thinking...we still need to give them that respect , soldiers maybe ruthless and agreesive but what do you have to say about the brt drivers themselves they believe they in govt and not the soldiers , some motorist can testify to this act because some of them have been victims of this same brt menance ...they just made someone fatherless and a widow....i think we should say the truth they need more training...
ReplyDeleteSo it is hoodlums who parked four BRT buses side by side and put fire in one so it can spread to the four buses?
ReplyDeleteWhen they killed Fela's mother, it was unknown soldiers?
When they killed innocent protesters over June 12. they were hoodlums!
Etc
Only thoughless people will criticise Soyinka for saying the truth