LAGOS— The soldier, whose stray bullet hit a
40-year-old man in Ijegun area of Lagos last
Thursday, has been arrested.
Although his identity could not be immediately
ascertained, Vanguard gathered that he had
been detained at the 65 Battalion of the
Nigerian Army, Bonny Camp, in Victoria
Island, Lagos.
This is just as the Military, weekend, clarified
that the erring soldier, was attached to its
joint task force code-named Operation AWATSE
and not OP MESA as earlier reported.
Vanguard gathered that the incident occurred
during an exchange of duty.
Spokesperson for the 9 Brigade of the
Nigerian Army, Major Oyegoke Gbadamosi,
however, said: “The militants wanted to take
advantage of the exchange of duty and this
led to exchange of fire.
“Unfortunately, a stray bullet hit someone. The
soldier involved had been arrested and
detained. Disciplinary action will be taken.”
Meanwhile, the victim, an indigene of Imo
State, has accused the military of abandoning
him.
Speaking from his hospital bed, yesterday,
Mmezi, said: “I have been managing myself
all these years and have never been a burden
to anyone. I did not steal, neither did I commit
any offence.
“I was to get my children school bags and
shoes that fateful day, in preparation for their
resumption tomorrow (today), only to find
myself at the hospital.
“No Military personnel has visited me. This
shows that the poor has no voice in Nigeria. If
I were the son of a rich man, I am sure they
would have been patrolling here.”
One of his relatives, Wisdom Osimiri, said
N280,000 was needed for surgery, adding
“where do we get such an amount from? The
good Samaritan that brought him here and
sympathisers have tried their best.
“There have been donations of between N200
and N1000.”
VANGUARD
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