their side of what transpired last Friday July 4th where
soldiers allegedly beat up some civilians and set some BRT
buses ablaze.
The statement signed by Deputy Director, Army Public
Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Omale Ochagwuba, says
contrary to reports, the Lance Corporal killed by the BRT
bus was driving on the main road used by other motorists
and not on the lane reserved for the BRT buses. It also
denied the army officers being responsible for setting some
BRT buses on fire. The statement reads in part;
"On July 4, a Lance Corporal of Nigerian Army, who was
on his way to the office on Ikorodu Road around
Obanikoro area between 6:30 and 6:45am, was
knocked down and killed by a BRT bus with number
plate KSF 995 XJ. It is pertinent to state here that the
late soldier was riding a power bike approved by the
state government and he was neither riding inside a
BRT lane nor was the BRT bus that killed him driving
inside the BRT lane. The innocent law-abiding soldier
was killed on the normal lane being plied by everybody
as against what is being alleged by some sections of
the media.
The soldier was hit from the rear and killed instantly. As
stated earlier in our release, the mayhem visited on the
BRT buses was the handiwork of hoodlums who seized
the opportunity of the tragic situation to vent their
anger on the buses for reasons best known to them. We
know the peculiar nature of Lagos where miscreants
always take advantage of situations like this to cause
havoc. In a situation like this, people are bound to
wrongfully accuse soldiers because they were seen
around the offending bus which was not even attacked.
With careful analysis of the incident, one will observe
that the BRT buses vandalised were far removed from
the scene of the accident".
"It is pertinent to once more remind the good people of
Lagos that the BRT bus in question that killed the
soldier and triggered the tragic consequences was
neither vandalised nor burnt. It was same soldiers who
are being wrongfully accused of burning buses and
causing mayhem, which is not true, that secured the
BRT bus and protected it from hoodlums before it was
later towed into the barracks for safety and also
prevented the hoodlums from causing further mayhem
on the road and cleared the route for traffic to flow. We
have pictures of the bus at the scene of the accident
and while it was being towed away to safety. The bus in
question has since been released to the BRT
management. The question begging for answer now is:
why is the bus itself that killed the soldier which was
already in soldiers hands not vandalised or burnt? Is it
not logical that, it should have been the first target of
their anger as alleged? These are hard times for
Nigerians and all hands should be on the deck to bring
peace to the country rather than inflame passion. The
Lagos State Government, which is supposed to be the
most aggrieved party, did not jump into conclusions.
The Lagos State Government said they are
investigating. That is a matured way of handling
situation rather than reacting on public opinion."
The Army also reacted to a statement credited to Nobel
Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka where he was alleged to have
said the army was "Mad" while reacting to the Friday July
4th incident
"In a situation where a respected elder statesman will
stand up in a public function and based on hear-say call
a respected professional organisation like the Nigerian
Army which is one of the major pillars of democracy and
fighting to keep the country together as mad, is
unfortunate and unbecoming. In less than a week, he
has made two careless offensive statements. At times,
he seems to speak before weighing the consequences
of his statement. The Nigerian Army is a professional
force which is law-abiding like any other citizen. The
military is a highly disciplined organisation which also
takes necessary steps to see that its erring members
are brought to book at any time the need arises to
enforce discipline."
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