Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, has come under fire and insults from two unidentified troops for ordering the arrest of their colleague soldier and three other motorbike riders who were observed riding against the flow of traffic on the Lagos-Badagry Motorway.
Our correspondent saw two different viral videos on Thursday, in which the soldiers seemed to be standing up for his fellow and criticising Sanwo-Olu for calling the soldier “useless” in the sight of “bastard civilians.”
According to PUNCH Metro, Sanwo-Olu gave the order to arrest three motorbike riders and a soldier on Tuesday for breaking traffic laws on the Lagos-Badagry Motorway.
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The governor could be seen giving the order to detain a motorbike rider who was posing as a military in a video that went viral, stating his intention to lock him up.
In response to the arrest, the first soldier contended that the state governor lacked the right to detain a soldier, especially in front of a military barracks, because he thought his comrade had done nothing to justify the detention.
He said that soldiers answered to their senior officers and were not under the authority of any state governor.
He said, “Did I just hear your governor calling a soldier, a Lance Corporal, useless? A Lance Corporal…This man broke his arm, they fired at the man. There is iron in his hands.
“You are calling a soldier useless in front of those idiots, those bastard civilians. DSS was pushing a soldier. In any situation where you find yourself as a soldier, the Army only gives you five seconds to compose yourself, so after that, you must know how to reply to any attack or anything that comes your way.
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“Because he is a governor, I know he (the arrested soldier) was shocked that the governor was arresting him. I know I am not perfect and I am not saying I am but in any situation I find myself, especially beside your barracks, nobody can arrest you. I repeat, nobody can arrest you because you have to stand your ground and nobody will slap you there.
“No DSS or police can slap you because you refuse to go. Why will you arrest me when there are IP and military police?
“Okay, will it be because I took one way beside my barracks? What if I just took the bike out to buy something? Do I have to take the long route because I want to buy something? Who does that? In which Army?”
He stated that the peace that was then in place in Lagos was the reason behind the governor’s choice, stressing that it was improbable in the Northeast, where he claimed to be.
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He said, “So, now, your governor has the guts to arrest and even call a soldier useless. To be sincere, Lagos has been experiencing too much peace. Let’s tell the truth, Lagos has been experiencing too much peace. Let us assume this happened in the North-East where I am, is it here the governor’s convoy that is taking one way will arrest a soldier for taking one way?
“You are there pursuing civilians, what if they get involved in an accident along the line?.. If the soldier said he is not going anywhere, nobody has the power to slap him. If the governor tries it, he knows he is already a bygone. The governor dare not slap a soldier.
A soldier chastised Sanwo-Olu in a different video for ordering the detention of three other motorbike riders including himself when they were travelling against traffic on the Lagos-Badagry Motorway.
In a separate 59-second video, the soldier said, “Soldiers that suffer day and night. How much do they pay soldiers? I hear an iron was placed in the Lance Corporal’s hand because he was shot in the hand. How much do they pay soldiers? Calling a soldier useless? And you call yourself the governor but you are misbehaving up and down. Who are you, Governor Sanwo-Olu? When you want to do your dirty job, you will call soldiers. Go and check the Ojo Road, is it good?”
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The 81 Division Nigerian Army spokeswoman, Olabisi Ayeni, told PUNCH Metro that no information was immediately available upon speaking with one of our journalists. Still, he promised that he would take care of the situation shortly.
“There is no detail for now. When it is official, I will speak about the situation.”
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