Residents of the neighbourhood where the infamous crisis between the Yorubas and Hausa communities happened have called on the state government to check the excesses of the soldiers deployed to the area to maintain peace. As the dust of the violent Mile 12 clash settles down, residents are crying out over the excesses of soldiers attached to the community by the state government.
The clash between members of the Hausa and Yoruba communities who engaged one another resulting in 10 deaths, with over 17 houses and 25 cars burnt leading the government to put in place a curfew in the area from 7pm to 7am
The new allegations now is that the soldiers drafted by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to maintain peace and order in the area are currently abusing and extorting the residents. It was observed that by 6pm every day, residents - those coming from work - who enter the community to access their homes are being manhandled by the military men.
Some of the residents told Saturday PUNCH that they were being forced to sit on the road littered with shattered bottles, or to ‘frog jump,’ or to sing for at least 30 minutes before they were allowed to go home.
A nurse, Ms Kemi Onaolapo, who works in Ikeja, told our correspondent in her home on Friday that when she got to the military checkpoint on Thursday at 6pm — one hour before the curfew started — she was ordered to sit among a group of people on the road, who were also returning from work.
She said, “We were asked to sit on the road littered with broken bottles. They said we should be singing songs, both Christian and Islamic songs. As we were doing that, they commanded us to hold ourselves by the waist. A married man held my waist. I could not resist. I also held a man’s waist in front of me.
“We did that for 45 minutes, just 15 minutes before the curfew began. They shouted at us to run after the exercise. To another group, they commanded them to ‘frog jump’ for the whole time. Different people were doing different humiliating things. These soldiers’ excesses are too much. They should just search us and let us go.”
A bank employee, who lives in the area, and who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that when he got to the checkpoint on Wednesday around 6.30pm, he saw people forced to kneel on the road.
“The curfew starts 7pm, but the soldiers have made it 6pm. But what I could not understand is why they are torturing people. I was driving, so they just searched my car and let me go. But I was angry when I saw men in suit sitting on the road. What sort of rubbish is that?” he asked.
The bank employee, however, added that on Thursday when he got to the checkpoint around 11pm due to the nature of his work, he had to bribe the soldiers with N5,000 before he was allowed to go.
The new allegations now is that the soldiers drafted by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to maintain peace and order in the area are currently abusing and extorting the residents. It was observed that by 6pm every day, residents - those coming from work - who enter the community to access their homes are being manhandled by the military men.
Some of the residents told Saturday PUNCH that they were being forced to sit on the road littered with shattered bottles, or to ‘frog jump,’ or to sing for at least 30 minutes before they were allowed to go home.
A nurse, Ms Kemi Onaolapo, who works in Ikeja, told our correspondent in her home on Friday that when she got to the military checkpoint on Thursday at 6pm — one hour before the curfew started — she was ordered to sit among a group of people on the road, who were also returning from work.
She said, “We were asked to sit on the road littered with broken bottles. They said we should be singing songs, both Christian and Islamic songs. As we were doing that, they commanded us to hold ourselves by the waist. A married man held my waist. I could not resist. I also held a man’s waist in front of me.
“We did that for 45 minutes, just 15 minutes before the curfew began. They shouted at us to run after the exercise. To another group, they commanded them to ‘frog jump’ for the whole time. Different people were doing different humiliating things. These soldiers’ excesses are too much. They should just search us and let us go.”
A bank employee, who lives in the area, and who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent that when he got to the checkpoint on Wednesday around 6.30pm, he saw people forced to kneel on the road.
“The curfew starts 7pm, but the soldiers have made it 6pm. But what I could not understand is why they are torturing people. I was driving, so they just searched my car and let me go. But I was angry when I saw men in suit sitting on the road. What sort of rubbish is that?” he asked.
The bank employee, however, added that on Thursday when he got to the checkpoint around 11pm due to the nature of his work, he had to bribe the soldiers with N5,000 before he was allowed to go.
A female trader, Mrs. Priscilla Oke, told our correspondent that as of 6pm when the soldiers start ‘drilling’ those entering Agiliti, the Hausa residents at Mile 12 are still being allowed to sell their goods and walk in the street.
“The soldiers are discriminatory in this regard. I want to plead with Governor Ambode to look into this matter. It is what we have been passing through since last week. Their excesses are getting too much. Imagine them making a married man to hold my waist and sing. They need to be stopped. There is now peace in the area.”
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