Soldiers beat man to stupor, blind FRSC official

A group of soldiers, numbering over 19, stormed Makoko community in Yaba, Lagos State, where they beat one David to stupor and allegedly blinded the eye of a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) official, identified as Mr. Segun Enikuomehin.

The soldiers were said to have stormed the community on Sunday evening.  Eye witnesses said that the soldiers, numbering over 19, stormed Sawmill area of Makoko, where they attacked David for daring to wear a military camouflage uniform three weeks.

It was gathered that the soldiers attacked Segun because he alerted the police about the invasion of the community and attack on David by the soldiers.

A resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “There are two soldiers in this community. They are new recruits. They attacked David because they saw him three weeks ago wearing military camouflage uniform. The beating of David was so severe, that most residents fled. It was only Segun that went to plead with them, not to beat David to death.”
He said that when Segun realised they were not listening to his pleas, he proceeded to the nearest police station.
The youth secretary in the area, who identified himself as Ajayi, said that the soldiers left David and turned on Segun.

 Ajayi said: “Segun was the only Good Samaritan who pleaded on behalf of David. He later went to report the incident at the police station. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), in charge of Makoko Police Station, deployed six policemen to the area.  When the soldiers realised Segun had alerted police, they descended on him. They blinded one of his eyes.”
According to Ajayi, Segun was rushed to Yaba General Hospital, but referred to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, where Doctors
are now battling to save his life.

Ajayi said: “We are using this opportunity to implore the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, to deploy more policemen to our community, to mount surveillance here. We heard that the soldiers have vowed to come back and fight our community. We also heard that some of the soldiers are of Ijaw extraction. We live near water ways. We do not want them to ambush us!”

The Lagos State Sector Commander (FRSC), Corps Commander Hyginus Omeje, was yet to confirm the identity of Segun as FRSC officer, as at press
time.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Dolapo Badmus, confirmed the incident.

She further said: “On Sunday, at about 4:30pm, we received information from Yaba Police Station, that some soldiers allegedly stormed Makoko area, Yaba, to attack residents in a yet to be determined circumstance. One Segun Enikuomehin of No15, Ayetoro Street, Makoko, was beaten to stupor. One of his eyes got blinded during the attack. Patrol teams attached to the division were quickly mobilised to the scene.

“The teams rescued two of the soldiers named Private Ihama Osaretin and Private Okpor Ray Chinedu who were being beaten and stabbed by angry mob in a reprisal attack. Normalcy has been restored in the area, while victims were taken to Mainland Hospital for medical treatment. Effort is in progress to contact the soldiers' service base.”