Police/Soldiers’ Clash: Man Accuses Nigerian Soldiers Of Brutalising Him After Sighting Police Tag On His Vehicle

Kazeem Olaniyi, a young Nigerian man, has slammed the Nigerian Army with a fresh accusation.

He was allegedly brutalized by Nigerian Army personnel along the Lagos-Ibadan express road.

Kazeem said he was on his way to Ikorodu, Lagos from Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Wednesday when the soldiers stopped him.

The victim said the soldiers on sighting a PCRC sign on his vehicle, dragged him out and beat him to a pulp.

Police Community Relations Committee or PCRC is a community policing-based organisation established by the Nigeria Police Force in 1984 to foster a partnership between the police and the community with a view to enhancing the efficient and effective policing of communities in Nigeria.

Kazeem said he saw fire in front of a police station earlier. He said he later suspected that it was a fight between soldiers and policemen within that axis that made the soldiers transfer aggression to innocent citizens.

He said; “I left Ibadan for Ikorodu yesterday; on my way there, I saw a fire burning in front of a police station. I didn’t really know what happened, I thought maybe the police and citizens were fighting.

“While I continued my journey, I later met some soldiers on the road and they stopped me. I drove a Honda Ridgeline. There is a PCRC tag on my vehicle. Immediately they stopped me, I put on my inside light and talked to them to know what was happening.

“The soldiers asked me if I am a policeman and I said no, they now queried the police tag on the vehicle. I was trying to explain to them, but they just pulled me out and started beating me. They slapped and brutalised me. I later rushed myself to a nearby pharmacy to treat myself.”

SaharaReporters earlier reported that the soldier killed following an altercation with some police officers in Lagos state on Wednesday recently got married.

The deceased has been identified as Corporal Saheed and was attached to the 174 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Odongunyan in Ikorodu.

SaharaReporters earlier reported how the soldier in question was stabbed to death by a policeman on Wednesday, leading to a violent clash between the police and soldiers in the area.

Subsequently, his colleagues decided to retaliate, launching an attack on Ogijo Police Station where the mobile police officer allegedly responsible for killing the soldier was stationed.

It was gathered that the soldiers burnt patrol vehicles and an armoured tank within the axis.

Speaking to SaharaReporters, a relative of the deceased soldier demanded justice for him.

He added that the victim got married a few months ago.

“He just got married a few months ago. I still spoke with him recently and told him to take care of his wife. It’s just so sad. He was so jovial and caring. He was staying in Gbagada and was loved by many people. The killer police officer must be prosecuted accordingly,” the relative told SaharaReporters.

There is a history of clashes between police personnel and soldiers in Nigeria.

In 2022, a police officer was beaten to death by soldiers.

The soldiers who were all attached to the Army Ordinance Corps of the 81 Division Nigerian Army based in Ojo, descended on two policemen and beat them to a stupor, leading to the death of one of them.

The Nigerian Army in 2021 accused police officers of killing and brutalising some of its personnel.

In a letter dated November 23, 2021, to all formations and units, the Chief of Army Staff had called on military officers to “forward all recorded incidence of police brutality against personnel of the Nigerian Army.”

The letter exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters was signed by Major General J. A. Ataguba titled, ‘Evaluating Incidences Of Police Brutality Against Personnel Of Nigerian Army.’

“The NA is constitutionally tasked to provide aid to civil authorities when called upon. This responsibility has occasioned conducting joint activities with members of the civil and paramilitary organizations. These joint operations with other security agencies particularly the Nigerian Police (NP) create occasions for the police to equate its hierarchy with the NA and this has often led to friction, especially at the lower levels,” the letter had read.