I had thought I’d reply to my earlier post, but I read another article this morning that someone had written and sent to Guardian Newspapers in reply to Obasanjo’s take on the Obama election. In fact, I planned today to react to the dastardly act carried out by some shameless Nigerian Naval soldiers who flagrantly disregarded that they were only being tolerated on civil roads, out of their barracks and decided to unleash terror on innocent civillians who they claim didn’t leave the way when they were trying to ride past with sirens blaring.
The result was that they left one lady badly horsewhipped and naked and several other men injured from their brutality. The lady in question, Uzoma Okere, a said daughter of the sergeant-at-arms of the National Assembly was still in the hospital receiving treatment as at friday last week. More annoying is the reaction of the Navy to the incident. If one thought Rear Admiral Harry Arogundade, a sworn protector of Nigeria and Nigerians to the point of death if need be was excessive in his non-chalance as a Gentleman Officer of the Nigerian Navy, what would one say about the Nigerian Navy who in a bid to show espirit-de-corps have directed their spokesman, the Director of Naval Information, to make such statements as the Navy’s point of view.
One would have thought that an ireport video available to the whole world via the internet would force them into coming up with creative things to say in defence of or with annoyance to the conduct shown by one of their own. I sincerely believe that the Nigerian Navy is one of the best in Africa and prides itself with having some of the most intelligent officers the Nigerian Armed Forces can boast of. Even after the Governor of Lagos state, Babatunde Raji Fashola had expressed his displeasure at the issue and offered free legal services to the affected party, one would have expected them to show more concern for public protection and service than has been shown. They decided to make the whole issue a “United we stand, divided we fall” issue, forgetting the fact that if the Nigerian Navy is divided against the Nigerian civillians, fall we must as a Nation. I attended for a while Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ibara, Abeokuta in Ogun State and can proudly say I had the best of education at that level for the time I was there. In fact, I secretly hoped I’ll turn out one day a Naval Officer, but I’m certain that for me and all others who attended this great school, such barbarism isn’t what we believed the Navy is capable of.
Having said this, I believe the Nigerian Navy should become very strict on indiscipline within their force so that this Royal Navy of ours is not perceived wrongly. A while ago, a lieutenant in the Navy forced an Okada rider to his knees, placed a gun in his mouth and shot him at point blank range, killing him simply because the okada rider brushed against his car a little. The nation frowned at this incident but we all felt it was a one off. Now we know better or do we?. Please follow the interview below that was granted to him by Vanguard Newspaper.
Navy sets up Board of Inquiry, defends Arogundade
Speaking when Vanguard contacted him on the issue, Director of Naval Information, Commodore David Nabaida said: “We have set up machinery to fully investigate the matter. A board of inquiry with the naval police involved is looking into the matter.
He gave the navy account of the incident: “What really happened is that there was a traffic problem usually associated with Lagos and the escorts of the Admiral jumped down to go clear the traffic in front. Along the way, a rating used his whip to hit the car, urging the lady to move.
“Instead, she jumped out of her car, switched it off, and forcefully took the whip from him (rating), telling him that we are in a democracy, that he (rating) had no right to hit her car.
A colleague of the rating then followed the lady and collected the whip from her. When the Admiral learnt that there was altercation between a lady and a rating in front, he asked that the lady be brought to him.
“She resisted and in the process of taking her to the Admiral, her shirt got torn. When the Admiral asked her what happened, she owned up to forcefully taking the whip from the rating and apologised for the behaviour, saying she was stressed up, that was why she behaved that way,” he said.
He said the Admiral later got to know that the father of the lady, Colonel Okere (rtd), who is the Sergeant-at-arms in the Senate, was two years his senior at the Nigerian Military School (NMS), and they both spoke during which Okere apologised for the conduct of his daughter.
Commodore Nabaida said: “That does not mean we would let it die like that. In Lagos area where the incident happened, the Flag Officer Commanding is looking into the matter. The fact that we didn’t say anything before now is because we needed to know what happened. It is not that we are covering anybody or that somebody is above the law. We don’t condone our boys beating up anybody or harassing anybody.
“We are very sensitive to how the public perceive us as a service. The general thrust of the armed forces is centred on building public confidence. We cannot be seen to be doing this and go against it. Individuals should be held accountable for their actions.
“It is wrong for anybody to assume that the Navy is lawless or they go about beating people. The impression was wrongly given that Admiral Arogundade was part of the altercation whereas he is a complete gentleman an amiable officer who even sought to resolve the matter as an elder.
“It (incident) should not be used as a basis to run a complete service down. This is a service where officers and men are deployed to very dangerous trouble spots, dying to protect the territorial integrity of the nation.
In fact, if you know the casualty the Navy has suffered this year alone in the Niger Delta, you will appreciate what I am talking about. So, for anybody to say the Navy is lawless or we are wasting tax payers money is way off the mark because we also pay taxes. So, Nigerians should learn not to jump to conclusions without hearing the other side,” he said.
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Can any body with vital information with a back up tell me what happened to the naval officer who shot an okada man in the mouth in Allen avenue.
please i really want to know what happened at the end was he jailed and for how along.