Naval ratings beat U.I. security chief, held hostage for hours
Eye witness accounts revealed that it was God’s intervention that saved an Assistant Patrol Officer of the university, Mr Moses Adetunji, who was beaten to coma by the naval ratings just as his security uniform was torn for daring to challenge what people called “disregard for orderliness within the university community.” It was reliably gathered […]
Eye witness accounts revealed that it was God’s intervention that saved an Assistant Patrol Officer of the university, Mr Moses Adetunji, who was beaten to coma by the naval ratings just as his security uniform was torn for daring to challenge what people called “disregard for orderliness within the university community.”
It was reliably gathered that the naval ratings had followed a senior officer who was simply described as Air Vice Marshall to a wedding reception held inside the University’s Trenchard Hall
However, trouble started when the Naval officers could not exercise patience by following the vehicular traffic queue and decided to shunt the queue, a development that led to a stiff challenge by the university’s security operatives who demanded that the convoy should turn back and do the right thing and tender the tally before they could exit the school gate.
An overzealous officer who was said to be the aide de camp to the senior naval officer, at this juncture alighted from the vehicle and approached Mr Moses Adetunji, the security officer at the main entrance of the institution, with a hot slap which the officer immediately returned.
This challenge, however, infuriated other Naval officers and army in the convoy who then went inside the booth of the car and brought out a naval sword against any opposition while other soldiers pointed their gun and were ready to shoot. Others descended on the UI security officer and beat him blue-black.
It was at this point that other UI security officers decided to lock the gate and prevented the naval convoy from exiting the school, a development which led to chaos. The naval team succeeded in tearing the security uniform of the UI man.
For over three and a hour hours, car owners watched the drama which most people described as barbaric, especially in a democratic setting and within a university community.
A security woman at the main gate who pleaded anonymity narrated that only God spared her life as the Naval officers, after beating one of their staff tried to escape in top speed and in the process driving roughly and almost hit her against the gate.
Her words: “It has been their normal way of life when they come to this campus. They will come and start harassing us and not wanting to follow the rules. Imagine, because they said they were running to catch a flight at the airport to return to Kaduna. Is that why they should flout the rule of “No shunting of queues” which is operational in the University. Also, they cannot exercise the patience to give us our tally back, another big offence in our school. So when they flouted the rules, we had to effect the sanctions. After all, rules are rules. By challenging them, they landed my colleague with a slap and he was quick to return it and then others descended on us.
One even went inside their booth and brought out Navy sword to attack any mob who would rescue the guy they were beating. When we realised that they were still calling on their colleagues at the wedding venue, we ordered the closure of all the three gates of the institution and made sure none of them was able to leave the campus after the Naval officer that slapped my colleague had escaped. It was really bad. They almost killed us today.”
But a few students around the university, assisted by other people at the Agbowo community stormed the gate entrance and insisted that the gate be put under lock and key as they protested that Naval ratings and the military guys that perpetrated the ugly incident must the dealt with in their own coins.
The situation led to traffic jam in the entire vicinity for about four hours stretching to around 4 pm as those who came for different wedding ceremonies helplessly watched the unfolding scenario which prevented them from exiting the school. Both sides of the Oduduwa road leading into the institution were blocked by vehicles trying to manoeuvre who later met brick wall.However, after failing in their might, the naval officer and army resorted to begging the officials at the university gate to no avail. Subsequently, a senior military officer later led them to the official quarters of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Olufemi Bamiro to plead with him to intercede on their behalf.
However, this could not perform the magic until the VC was physically present at the gate, assisted by the Deputy Vice Chancellor academics, Professor Adigun Agbaje who addressed the angry students and concerned publics that the naval officers would be made to write an apology letter and appropriate sanction would be matted out to the judas officers. The intervention of the Divisional Police Officer of Sango Police Station, Mrs Morakinyo also helped in bringing a resolution to the matter as she personally negotiated the opening of the gate and inspected the traffic patrol until all returned to normalcy.