Military Officers Beat Up this Woman and Damaged Her Car for Obstructing Traffic (Photos)

Joy Agboghide

According to a report on Punch, Nigerian military officers on Monday, reportedly assaulted a 51-year-old lady-motorist identified as Joy Agboghide, for allegedly obstructing traffic on Forestry Lane in Benin, the Edo State capital.

The incident occurred at about 4:00pm in front of the headquarters of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), as an officer, a Major, was said to have  emerged from the premises of the  company and instructed the woman to reverse her vehicle in order to ease traffic on the narrow road.

It was learnt that Agboghide, a mother of six, however, explained that she had initially allowed about five vehicles to go due to the indiscriminate parking of vehicles on the road, an argument was said to have ensued between the soldier and the woman, after the army officer insisted that she must reverse her vehicle.

The major, who was said to have been angered  by the development, returned  to the BEDC  premises. A source who disclosed to a correspondent, said he later returned with some soldiers said to be attached to the BEDC and  allegedly ordered them to beat up the woman.

It was gathered that she was said to have been rushed to the Central Hospital in Benin where was receiving treatment as of the time of filing this  report.

Agboghide, who later spoke to a correspondent, said,  "I went to Lagos Street to get some food items. So, I passed through Forestry (Lane) to the  road beside former NEPA. As I was going,  the driver of  the  vehicle  in front of me and some traders around told me to stop. I stopped and about four vehicles passed. Later, the traders told me to go.

"As I moved on, a soldier told me to reverse and I explained that I had waited for some vehicles to pass. But he said, ‘Do you know who you are talking to? Reverse!’ Before I knew it, he used his gun to hit my windscreen.

"I came out and asked him what I had done and he said I should wait. He went into the BEDC premises and came out with some soldiers who descended on me. He said they should clear me off the road. But as he tried to enter his vehicle, I pulled him and told him to pay for the damage done to my car."

She alleged  that she was also assaulted by a woman said to  the wife of the officer. "As the man jumped inside his vehicle and tried to drive off, I hit his windscreen. He came down and damaged my windscreen and  the rear screen.

"Suddenly,  he came out with a whip and beat me. The lady inside the vehicle also sprayed tear gas into my eyes."

Captain Jonah Unuakhalu, the spokesman for the 4 Brigade Command of the Nigerian Army, told a correspondent that  the  officer involved was not in the Army. "He is a Nigerian Air Force officer. But we are investigating," Unuakhalu said.