Soldiers Allegedly Beat up a Woman & Damage her Car in Edo State

According to reports, a 51-year-old mother of six, Joy Agboghide, who resides in Benin, Edo State, was at about 4 pm yesterday beaten by officers in Benin, Edo State, for allegedly obstructing traffic with her car.

The incident which occurred in front of the headquarters of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company was reported to have been sparked off by an argument between an officer and the woman who had insisted that she reverse her vehicle.

Joy Agboghide had explained that she had stopped to allow about four cars pass through the congested road and the officer had angrily returned to the BEDC premises with some other soldiers attached to BEDC. The soldiers were then reported to have beaten the woman up after which she was rushed to the Central Hospital, Benin, where she received treatment.

Speaking to Punch correspondents, the woman explained, “ … a soldier told me to reverse and I explained that I had waited for some vehicles to pass. But he said, ‘Do you know who you are talking to? Reverse!’ Before I knew it, he used his gun to hit my windscreen.

She continued, “I came out and asked him what I had done and he said I should wait. He went into the BEDC premises and came out with some soldiers who descended on me. He said they should clear me off the road. But as he tried to enter his vehicle, I pulled him and told him to pay for the damage done to my car.”

The officer, who was later identified as an officer in the Nigerian Air Force and not Nigerian Army by Captain Jonah Unuakhalu, Spokesman for the 4 Brigade Command of the Nigerian Army, is said to be under investigations.