A 32-year- old man, Yemi Ayeni, who has been terrorising residents of Shibiri area and its environs in Lagos, masquerading as a soldier in the Nigerian Army has been arrested by the Police.
His bullish act reached its peak over the weekend, after he beat up a policewoman who was controlling traffic at Shibiri bus-stop.
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The report said that the policewoman, Inspector Maltina Oyinchi, stopped a commercial bus that obstructed traffic at the bus-stop. Ayeni, who was clad in a faded Army crested vest, was said to have jumped out and demanded to know why the policewoman should stop the commercial bus, seeing he was seated in front.
In the process, he was said to have started hitting the woman and at the same time asking her why she stopped a vehicle occupied by a soldier.
From the video clip of the battery which went viral, the suspect was seen flogging the policewoman with a cane. Though she attempted to put up an act of defense but was overpowered by the acclaimed soldier.
While the assault was going on, everyone stood watching, apparently out of fear not to have a fair share of the beating, as they considered Ayeni to be a soldier. But a man was said to have later intervened by pacifying Ayeni.
Policemen from Ilemba Hausa division, who got wind of the incident, rushed to the scene to find their beaten colleague still holding on to the suspect, preventing him from escaping.
Surprisingly, during interrogation, Ayeni was discovered not to be a soldier after all. Rather, he claimed to have been disqualified at the entry-level into the Military.
According to him: “I am a dismissed soldier”. Asked which command he served last, he said: “I was dismissed during training. I had spent four months in the training before I was dismissed (disqualified ). This was because anytime someone shouted at me, I would feel somehow. They said I had a medical problem and told me to leave.
“ I don’t know what came over me on Sunday. I was inside a commercial bus with the driver and conductor, when the policewoman hit the vehicle and that was all.
“I regret my action. I appeal to the Federal Government and the Police to free me. They should temper justice with mercy. I will never try this again. My wife walked out of the marriage six months ago, abandoning our baby “, he stated.
The suspect according to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Elkana Bala, would be charged to court for assault.
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