Tension in Abuja district as soldiers clash with ‘Okada’ men over alleged torture

by Oge Okonkwo

okada

There was notable tension in Nyanya/Karu Abuja, after some soldiers allegedly tortured a commercial motorcyclist commonly known as Okada leading to protest by some of the riders.

According to sources, the trouble started after the Okada man conveyed a lady to St. Mary’s Catholic Church which some soldiers were stationed at the front of the church, guarding the premises and parked in front of the church were parking is prohibited.

Witnesses say shots were fired during the clash between the soldiers and the protesting Okada riders who came in scores but no fatalities were reported.

Premium Times reports:

The man was reportedly asked by the soldiers guarding the church to move away from the area.

“I don’t know if the man refused, because the next thing was a soldier beating him mercilessly and forcing him to drink water from the gutter,” Adamu said.

He also said the Okada riders in the area subsequently mobilized themselves and came to the area to protest because the Okada rider is a Muslim who was fasting and was forced to break his fast.

He also said the Okada riders who mobilized were very many in number and there were shootings.

“There was more gunshots and some of them were caught by bullets. More soldiers came to the place and everywhere is calm now,” he added.

Dozens of military men remained up the road when a PREMIUM TIMES’ reporter visited the scene, and passersby were asked to raise their hands.

None of the soldiers was willing to talk to us and referred us to ‘higher authorities’.

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