With the March 3 Mile12 riot still fresh in the
mind, the government has taken steps to ease
tension and prevent further violent outbreaks.
Unfortunately, it seems the soldiers attached by
the government have taken matters to the
extreme, terrorizing residents.
A curfew was put in place in the area from
7pm to 7am as a result of the crisis, where
Hausa and Yoruba people around the Mile12
area clashed leading to many casualties.
Over 17 houses and 25 cars were also burnt in
the process
The soldiers, tasked with keeping Mile12 safe
however seem to be making the residents feel
anything but safe. By 6pm every day, residents
returning from work find themselves being
harassed by the military men.
Some of the residents have reported that they
were being forced to sit on the road littered
with shattered bottles, or to 'frog jump,' or to
sing for at least 30 minutes before they were
allowed to go home.
A nurse, returning from work at about 6pm
claims she was ordered to sit among a group
of people on the road, who were also returning
from work.
She said, "We were asked to sit on the road
littered with broken bottles. They said we
should be singing songs, both Christian and
Islamic songs. As we were doing that, they
commanded us to hold ourselves by the waist.
A married man held my waist. I could not resist.
I also held a man's waist in front of me.
"We did that for 45 minutes, just 15 minutes
before the curfew began. They shouted at us to
run after the exercise. To another group, they
commanded them to 'frog jump' for the whole
time. Different people were doing different
humiliating things. These soldiers' excesses are
too much. They should just search us and let
us go."
Another person complained that when he got to
the checkpoint on Wednesday around 6.30pm,
he saw people forced to kneel on the road.
"The curfew starts 7pm, but the soldiers have
made it 6pm. But what I could not understand
is why they are torturing people. I was driving,
so they just searched my car and let me go.
But I was angry when I saw men in suit sitting
on the road. What sort of rubbish is that?" he
asked.
The bank employee, however, added that on
Thursday when he got to the checkpoint
around 11pm due to the nature of his work, he
had to bribe the soldiers with N5,000 before he
was allowed to go.
Yet another resident said:
"They make people like us to sweep the road
for 30 minutes every morning before they let us
go," he said.
To cap it all off, residents are alleging the
soldiers of not extending 'the practice' to the
Hausa neighbourhood of the area. They
claim that the Hausa residents at Mile 12 are still
being allowed to sell their goods and walk in
the street all at times when others are being
subjected to all sorts.
"The soldiers are discriminatory in this regard"
said a resident. "I want to plead with Governor
Ambode to look into this matter. It is what we
have been passing through since last week.
Their excesses are getting too much."
The Mile12 area just might be experiencing
terror of another sort and it is quite sad indeed.
mind, the government has taken steps to ease
tension and prevent further violent outbreaks.
Unfortunately, it seems the soldiers attached by
the government have taken matters to the
extreme, terrorizing residents.
A curfew was put in place in the area from
7pm to 7am as a result of the crisis, where
Hausa and Yoruba people around the Mile12
area clashed leading to many casualties.
Over 17 houses and 25 cars were also burnt in
the process
The soldiers, tasked with keeping Mile12 safe
however seem to be making the residents feel
anything but safe. By 6pm every day, residents
returning from work find themselves being
harassed by the military men.
Some of the residents have reported that they
were being forced to sit on the road littered
with shattered bottles, or to 'frog jump,' or to
sing for at least 30 minutes before they were
allowed to go home.
A nurse, returning from work at about 6pm
claims she was ordered to sit among a group
of people on the road, who were also returning
from work.
She said, "We were asked to sit on the road
littered with broken bottles. They said we
should be singing songs, both Christian and
Islamic songs. As we were doing that, they
commanded us to hold ourselves by the waist.
A married man held my waist. I could not resist.
I also held a man's waist in front of me.
"We did that for 45 minutes, just 15 minutes
before the curfew began. They shouted at us to
run after the exercise. To another group, they
commanded them to 'frog jump' for the whole
time. Different people were doing different
humiliating things. These soldiers' excesses are
too much. They should just search us and let
us go."
Another person complained that when he got to
the checkpoint on Wednesday around 6.30pm,
he saw people forced to kneel on the road.
"The curfew starts 7pm, but the soldiers have
made it 6pm. But what I could not understand
is why they are torturing people. I was driving,
so they just searched my car and let me go.
But I was angry when I saw men in suit sitting
on the road. What sort of rubbish is that?" he
asked.
The bank employee, however, added that on
Thursday when he got to the checkpoint
around 11pm due to the nature of his work, he
had to bribe the soldiers with N5,000 before he
was allowed to go.
Yet another resident said:
"They make people like us to sweep the road
for 30 minutes every morning before they let us
go," he said.
To cap it all off, residents are alleging the
soldiers of not extending 'the practice' to the
Hausa neighbourhood of the area. They
claim that the Hausa residents at Mile 12 are still
being allowed to sell their goods and walk in
the street all at times when others are being
subjected to all sorts.
"The soldiers are discriminatory in this regard"
said a resident. "I want to plead with Governor
Ambode to look into this matter. It is what we
have been passing through since last week.
Their excesses are getting too much."
The Mile12 area just might be experiencing
terror of another sort and it is quite sad indeed.
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