Woman laments attack by soldier

Adepashe

Mrs. Olayinka Adepashe could not have imagined the fate that befell her on December 6, 2010. That day, she was severely beaten by a soldier who felt offended that she gave him an order.

At present, Adepashe said she was thinking of leaving everything to God, adding that if the army decided to protect their own, the soldier could not run from God.

She told PUNCH METRO that on the day of the incident, she was about to enter the street where her shop is located at Ojo-Giwa Street, Lagos Island, when she noticed an unusual traffic snarl. She said that she noticed that the build-up was caused by two cars, which were parked across the narrow street.

“Queues had started building-up; and you know how ruthless these LASTMA officials could be if they come to the scene. They could probably impound our vehicles. To avoid this, I quickly got down from my car and searched for the drivers of the two cars that were obstructing the traffic.”

She said one of the vehicles was driven by a soldier, later identified as Adekunle Rotimi. She asked the driver of the car behind the one driven by Rotimi to repark somewhere else so that the soldier could adjust and other people would gain access to the street.

She said the only thing she asked was for the soldier to park well, but when he did not respond at all, she thought aloud that maybe the soldier did not understand her language.

“Suddenly I him saying, ‘Madam I heard all that you are saying.’ Don’t think I did not hear what you are saying. Is it me you are talking to? I will deal with you.”

Adepashe said she was still wondering what she did wrong, when the soldier brought out a belt.

“He went to where he parked the car, brought out his belt, folded it into two and hit me hard with it. He then slapped my left eye; my earring went off. I was too dazed to say a word.

“He threatened to break my head, people asked me to run inside my shop, but I couldn’t move my legs. It was as if it was happening to another person.

“I thought of holding his clothes, but couldn’t for fear that if he should have a gun, he would shoot me. I had heard of instances a soldier or policeman killed somebody with a rifle. People around dragged me from him, or else he might have done more damage to me,” Adepashe said.

“I did not know the people who went to call my husband. When he came and asked me what had happened, I did not say a word. He advised that we should go to police station and report the matter, but what would the police do to a soldier?” I asked.

“Being a soldier, I reasoned that the police would not be able to arrest and punish him. It was then I started crying. My left eye was swollen with blood while my back had marks.”

She stated that from all she gathered, the soldier is serving at Bonny Camp. “The car he drove on the day was black with registration number FC 249 ABC.

“On Friday I learned the soldier came to look for me in my shop when I wasn’t around. Later he called me, saying that it was when he got home that he realised what he did to me that day was very bad. I began to cry,” Adepashe added.

She said that in the evening, she received another telephone call.

Adepashe said the man on the telephone asked her to see him in Abuja in order to apologise to her. But she declined and asked the man to come to Lagos instead.

Adepashe said she decided to report the soldier to the Army at Bonny Camp. She told PUNCH METRO that when she met the spokesman of the Army in Lagos, Lt.-Commander Ogunsanya, she was told that Rotimi was from Military Police unit, adding that he was based in Abeokuta.

Adepashe said that the military authorities had promised assistance on the matter, but she said she was not holding her breath.

Efforts to speak to Rotimi on the issue proved abortive. He refused to speak with our correspondent on the telephone.

Rotimi’s boss claimed ignorance of the issue and denied ever knowing Rotimi when he was called on the telephone.

But the Army Public Relations Officer, Lagos Command, Mr. Ogunsanya, said that army is staffed with discipline soldiers and that his organisation did not tolerate any bad behaviour.

He said, “I cannot speak for him, but if he is investigated and found culpable, he would be dealt with according to the provisions of the law.”