Human rights activist Comrade Ufezime Nelson Ubi has openly criticized the Nigerian Army’s response to a shocking assault incident involving a Major General and his escort.
The incident, captured on video, shows the General and his escort attacking a couple for overtaking their car. Despite widespread public outrage, the Army has only recently announced that it is investigating the matter.
Ubi argues that the Army’s slow response is unacceptable, asserting that the involved General should be arrested and removed from the Nigerian Army immediately.
He further calls for the abolition of the controversial law that prohibits civilians from overtaking military vehicles, citing its excessive nature and the potential for abuse by members of the armed forces.
“What are they investigating? This Army general should be arrested and removed from the Nigerian Army. It’s only in Nigeria that such madness occurs. The ridiculous law prohibiting civilians from overtaking military vehicles should be abolished immediately, as it is becoming excessive.”, he wrote, reacting to the abuse.
Omoyele Sowore, a Nigerian human rights activist and the convener of the RevolutionNow movement has also called for justice after the disturbing video surfaced showing the couple being brutally assaulted by a Nigerian Army Major General and other soldiers.
The couple has been identified as Mr Vershima Mker and Ms. Lami Jennifer Iorvihi, while the assaulting military personnel are Major General G.S. Mohammed and at least one of his aides identified as Corporal A. Abubakar.
Meanwhile, the victims have called for the dismissal of the senior officer and demanded N150 million in compensation for the assault.
Sowore is also demanding that those responsible be prosecuted for their actions.
The Nigerian Army’s code of conduct emphasizes discipline and respect for civilians, yet there’s a concerning disconnect between this ideal and the behavior of some personnel when interacting with the civilian population.
In the video, the soldiers are seen repeatedly hitting and kicking the young man, who appears helpless and defenceless.
Reacting to the incident, Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), strongly condemned the Nigerian Army’s brutality against defenseless civilians, adding such led to the mass killing of civilians in some parts of the country.
In a post on his X account, he demanded that the soldiers involved in the recent assault be arrested and prosecuted to set an example and deter other security agents from abusing their power.
“The Nigerian Army keeps brutalizing hapless Nigerians at the slightest opportunity and mostly without provocation; these men in uniform here must serve as examples,” he said.
“They must not be allowed to get away with this, for it is these types of behaviors that led to the massacres of civilians in Odi, Zaki Biam, South East, #Endsars, #ShiitesZariaMassacre, etc…
“Enough Is Enough!”
In another post, he condemned the Nigerian Army’s brutality against unarmed civilians, questioning when it became the army’s duty to intervene in civilian disputes on the streets.
“Nigerian Army officers have no right to settle scores with Nigerians on the street even when the civilians might be wrong. It is for the police to determine after a thorough investigation,” he said.
Leave a Reply