A number of armed naval ratings escorting a Rear Admiral through Lagos traffic went wild yesterday beating up a lady that has been identified as Uzoma Okere.
Okere’s offence was that she did not give way for the Admiral to pass when she heard his siren behind her. Before she could move her car to one side, she was dragged out and was given the beating of her life. By the time they had stopped, Okere, had been left handcuffed and had a battered face, blood-shot eyes and bruises all over her body.
Reports are that the incident happened at about 6pm on Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, Okere’s is currently receiving treatment at Kamorass Hospital in Victoria Island.
Eyewitnesses to the incident said the naval ratings hit the lady with their gun butts and beat her with ahorsewhip, they also allegedly attacked another occupant of her car for attempting to come to her rescue.
The Rear Admiral, simply identified as Arogundade, was said to be inside a Peugeot 406 car marked NN 357 A 02 at the time of the incident. He didn’t tell his men to stop beating the woman rather he sat down in his car and watch the whole incident unfold whilst blaming the lady for standing there while his men beat her up.
A member of staff of Price WaterHouse Coopers, who reportedly witnessed the incident and later protested the harassment in front of the house where the naval officer was going on the same street was also beaten up by the Naval Officers, on the alleged instruction of their boss.
A popular comedian who witnessed the incident but spoke on the condition of anonymity, say’s that he saw blood and the battered eyes of the victim.
The victim on her hospital bed, Okere said that she was going to Mile 2 from the Lagos Island where she worked when the incident happened. Okere, who claimed that she had a military background, said that as soon as she saw Arogundade’s convoy, she knew that a Rear Admiral was inside the car and quickly gave way.
“We were all in the traffic. When I heard a siren behind me. One of them came out to control the traffic. I was moving to the left when he suddenly pulled me out. They dragged me into the house tore my clothes. I was beaten up mercilessly. My head is swollen and I have bruises all over my body.�
“My father spoke with the man on the phone later but he lied to him (her father) that I was fighting with his men. They would have beaten the two other ladies in my car like they did to my male colleagues if not for the fact that they are pregnant,� she added.
She said the Rear Admiral later gave her the shirt she wore to the hospital in a condescending manner.
“He never apologised for the abuse and criminal act,� she added.
But the Information Officer, Western Naval Command, Commander, Foluso Ajibulu, who confirmed the incident to reporters on the telephone said that both parties were already resolving the matter.
Ajibulu said, “The information we had was that the lady in question is the daughter of a retired colonel. May be it was her background that made her to snatch a horsewhip from one of the escort men.�He admitted that the security men would not have taken the matter lightly with the lady and that might have led to the assault on her.
Okere said she had contacted a human rights lawyer who advised her not to report to any police station since the case involved a senior officer.
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