One person has reportedly died after Nigerian Army soldiers attacked members of the Borno State COVID-19 team while enforcing lockdown restrictions.
According to a report by Premium Times, the soldiers who disregarded an interstate Travel ban forced their way through the Maiduguri City gate with three gun trucks allowing hundreds of travellers stranded outside the city to come in after them.
The soldiers threatened to shoot the COVID-19 committee members including the Attorney General of the state and the Commissioner for health who led the enforcement team.
Not deterred by the caliber of government officials present as well as the curfew imposed on the state, the solders rammed their gun trucks through the Rapid Response Squad patrol truck blocking the gate, injuring all the security personnel inside. The Truck driver died a few hours later at the Borno Specialist Hospital.
The soldiers also injured civilians in the melee including a pregnant woman, a baby and two others who sustained serious fractures. A photojournalist who filmed the entire event was also assaulted by the soldiers as they streamed into the city.
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Speaking on the incident, the Attorney General of Borno state, Kaka Shehu said;
“We were assaulted today and it is quite unfortunate that it is a federal government law enforcement agency that is responsible. We are carrying out a federal government order on restriction on interstate movement and soldiers in three gun trucks decided to violate that by forcefully leading passengers into the city.
“They did not only break through the barricades but also assaulted us as a committee. They beat up our cameraman, seized his camera, and attempted to beat up some of the policemen in our committee.
“We did our best to calm the policemen, while I tried to confront one of the soldiers to remind him of the consequences of their action. But to my greatest surprise, the soldier looked at me and told me he doesn’t care about our ‘useless democracy’.”
The government official said further that the soldiers who were being cheered on by the civilians they allowed into the city threatened to deal with anyone who stood in their way.
Umar Kadafur, Deputy Governor of Borno State and the chairman of the COVID-19 Committee summoned the Garrison commander to the scene and ordered the return of the camera seized from the photojournalist attached to the committee.
The garrison commander apologized for the action of his troops and assured that they would face disciplinary action.
He also alleged that the soldiers breached COVID-19 lockdown orders because they wanted to protect the stranded travellers from potential attack by Boko Haram.
The deputy governor however said the action was a despicable one.
“This is highly condemnable and should not be allowed to repeat itself again,” he said.
“We have conferred with the garrison commander and made it clear to him that we won’t allow any soldier to undermine our authority and the orders of Mr President. Hence we will pursue the case to its logical conclusion until we see that those soldiers face disciplinary action.
“However, we as a committee, and government, appreciate the sacrifices of the Nigerian military and we will do everything to support them, but we will not tolerate discipline in our state.”