Army Personnels Brutalise Ogun Man Over Fallout With Lover
Residents of Papalanto, in the Ewekoro Local Government Area of Ogun State, have cried out over alleged brutality by soldiers who were invited to intervene in what witnesses described as a purely civil matter.
The lawless soldiers left a resident, Mr. Ramoni Solademi, seriously injured and awaiting surgery.
According to eyewitnesses who spoke with SaharaReporters, the incident occurred after a domestic disagreement between a man and a woman allegedly dating one of the soldiers spiralled into chaos.
The woman had reportedly called in her military lover for “reinforcement.”
“What happened was a civil case,” a source familiar with the incident said.
“One of the parties went to invite the Nigerian Army personnel to intervene in the matter. When the army personnel arrived, they started slapping the second party till he said he would do surgery.”
The source further alleged that the soldiers arrived in a Hilux van with no registration number, both front and back, and immediately began assaulting Mr. Solademi in full view of residents, while firing shots into the air and causing panic in the community.
“What is funny is that they reported the matter at the police station, but the DPO in charge did not investigate the case because it involves uniform men — army,” the source continued.
“We are trying to draw the attention of the governor, the Commissioner of Police, and the House of Assembly to it.”
It was gathered that three soldiers were involved in the attack. They were identified as Chuck N, Abazie E, and a third man “who wore an Army T-shirt but had no visible name tag.”
Residents expressed anger that despite a formal complaint lodged at the Itori Divisional Police Headquarters, no investigation has been carried out, allegedly because the perpetrators are personnel of the Nigerian Army.
Another resident described the soldiers’ actions as a gross abuse of power and a threat to civil peace, saying the assault nearly sparked a mob reaction.
“There was a civil argument between a man and a woman who’s befriending a soldier,” another witness told SaharaReporters.
“The woman left the scene and came back with soldiers firing guns and causing public disorder that day.”
The victim, Mr. Solademi was said to have undergone surgery to treat severe injuries sustained during the assault.
Residents and eyewitnesses have now called on the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, the Commissioner of Police, and members of the Ogun State House of Assembly to urgently intervene and ensure justice is served.
“This must not be swept under the carpet,” a community member said. “If soldiers can brutalise civilians over a personal matter and the police refuse to act, then no one is safe.”
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
