Two yet-to-be-identified soldiers have slammed the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for ordering the arrest of their colleague alongside three other motorcyclists for driving against traffic on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
The soldiers, who appeared to be defending their colleague in two separate viral videos monitored on Thursday, faulted Sanwo-Olu for calling the soldier “useless” in the presence of those he termed “bastard civilians.”.
Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, ordered the arrest of a soldier and three other motorcyclists for driving against traffic on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
In a viral video, Sanwo-Olu was seen ordering his men to put one of the motorcyclists who claimed to be a soldier into the vehicle, stating that he was going to lock him up.
Reacting to the arrest, the first soldier who believed that his colleague had done nothing to have deserved an arrest, said the state governor had no right to arrest a soldier, especially in front of his barracks.
He claimed that soldiers were not under the control of any state governor but their senior officers.
He said, “Did I just hear your governor calling a soldier, a Lance Corporal, useless? A Lance Corporal…This man broke his arm, they fired at the man. There is iron in his hands.
“You are calling a soldier useless in front of those idiots, those bastard civilians. DSS was pushing a soldier. In any situation where you find yourself as a soldier, the Army only gives you five seconds to compose yourself, so after that, you must know how to reply to any attack or anything that comes your way.
“Because he is a governor, I know he (the arrested soldier) was shocked that the governor was arresting him. I know I am not perfect and I am not saying I am but in any situation I find myself, especially beside your barracks, nobody can arrest you. I repeat, nobody can arrest you because you have to stand your ground and nobody will slap you there.
“No DSS or police can slap you because you refuse to go. Why will you arrest me when there are IP and military police?
“Okay, will it be because I took one way beside my barracks? What if I just took the bike out to buy something? Do I have to take the long route because I want to buy something? Who does that? In which Army?”
He added that the governor’s action was because Lagos was peaceful, saying that could never have happened in the North-East where he said he was based.
He said, “So, now, your governor has the guts to arrest and even call a soldier useless. To be sincere, Lagos has been experiencing too much peace. Let’s tell the truth, Lagos has been experiencing too much peace. Let us assume this happened in the North-East where I am, is it here the governor’s convoy that is taking one way will arrest a soldier for taking one way?
“You are there pursuing civilians, what if they get involved in an accident along the line?.. If the soldier said he is not going anywhere, nobody has the power to slap him. If the governor tries it, he knows he is already a bygone. The governor dare not slap a soldier.
In yet another video, a soldier slammed also Sanwo-Olu, for ordering the arrest of his colleague alongside three other motorcyclists for driving against traffic on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
In a separate 59-second video, the soldier said, “Soldiers that suffer day and night. How much do they pay soldiers? I hear an iron was placed in the Lance Corporal’s hand because he was shot in the hand. How much do they pay soldiers? Calling a soldier useless? And you call yourself the governor but you are misbehaving up and down. Who are you, Governor Sanwo-Olu? When you want to do your dirty job, you will call soldiers. Go and check the Ojo Road, is it good?”
When contacted , the spokesperson, 81 Division Nigerian Army , Olabisi Ayeni, said there were currently no details available. However, he said he would address the matter soon.
“There is no detail for now. When it is official, I will speak about the situation.”