Lagos police arrest two Nigerian Army privates for attacking local residents in Makoko

DETECTIVES from the Lagos State Police Command have arrested Privates Ihama Osaretin and Okpor Ray of the Nigerian Army for allegedly attacking and brutalising some residents of Makoko area in the state.

 

Of late, local people have been complaining about soldiers harassing and attacking them and the police decided to investigate the matter. On Sunday, some soldiers stormed the waterside community to attack its residents and the police were called and subsequently carried out the two arrests.

Apparently, the rampaging soldiers, numbering about 14, had gone to the community in a rage, beating up anyone they set their eyes on. Although the bartered residents initially fled their community, they were said to have regrouped and confronted the soldiers armed with dangerous weapons such as axes, broken bottles, iron rods, wood and cudgels.

 

When they attempted to overpower the soldiers, 12 of the troops succeeded in fleeing to safety, leaving two others behind at the mercy of the angry residents who unleashed terror on them. It was gathered that attempt to beat the duo was aborted by two police attack patrol teams attached to Makoko Police Division that were quickly mobilised to the scene by the divisional police officer.

 

Thanks to the quick intervention of the police the two privates were saved and were later rushed to the hospital for treatment of the injuries they had sustained. Police spokesman Dolapo Badmos, said one Segun Enikumehin of Aiyetoro Street, Makoko was beaten to a pulp by the soldiers to the extent that he lost one of his eyes.

Ms Badmos said: “On Sunday, the Yaba Police Division received information that some soldiers allegedly stormed the Makoko area to attack the residents in yet-to-be determined circumstances. One Segun Enikumehin was beaten to a pulp and one of his eyes was injured during the attack.

 

"Our men were mobilised to the scene and they arrested one of the soldiers, Osaretin, while another soldier, Chinedu, who was beaten and stabbed by the angry mob in the reprisal, was rescued. The victims were taken to mainland general hospital for medical treatment, while efforts are in progress to contact the soldiers’ service base.”

 

She added that normalcy had returned to the area while the police were investigating the cause of the fracas. Of late, there have been several instances of security men clashing with local communities across Nigeria as both soldiers and policemen regularly extort money to augment their meagre wages.