Army probes assault on Abuja couple by soldiers

Army probes assault on Abuja couple by soldiers 

 

The Nigerian Army says it will investigate its officers allegedly involved in the assault of a couple on a street of Abuja

Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, ordered the probe on Wednesday.

A video has surfaced online and it went viral on Tuesday showing some soldiers, including a major general, beating up a couple in the nation’s capital.

Eyewitnesses said the soldiers stopped the couple for “unlawfully overtaking” their convoy.

The video showed men in military uniforms hitting the man as his wife protested.

“How did I bash your car? Oh God!!” the man said as he took one punch after another while writhing in pain.

Blood could be seen dripping from the man’s forehead following a slap from a soldier.

The couple said after the assault, the major general and his aide handcuffed them, shoved them into the trunk of a car, from where they were whisked to the Gwarimpa police station.

The soldiers reportedly ordered police officers to detain the couple indefinitely.

But in a statement on Wednesday, spokesman for the Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu, confirmed that the chief of army staff ordered an immediate investigation into the incident.

“The attention of the Nigerian Army (NA) has been drawn to a viral audio-visual recording circulating on social media platforms, purportedly showing a senior Army officer and 2 other soldiers in an altercation with a man and woman within the Abuja metropolis.

“The circumstances leading to this incident are not clear at the moment.

“However, the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has ordered an immediate investigation to unravel the true circumstances surrounding this altercation.

“The NA remains committed to serving and protecting all law-abiding Nigerians as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Therefore, we urge the public to be rest assured that due diligence will be applied to reach a logical conclusion on this matter.”