Some of the soldiers attached to the Oyo State security outfit Operation Burst were on Sunday arrested by the Nigerian Army for flogging a lady over alleged indecent dressing as well as shaving youths for wearing “improper hairstyles”.
The soldiers together with other security agencies in the state were deployed to Beere and other trouble spots in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital over the hijack of the #EndSARS protests in the town.
In a viral video in Ibadan, the soldiers were seen chanting EndSARS with a young lady wearing a nude camisole and orange attachment sitting on the bare floor at a filling station while one of the soldiers was busy whipping the lady in her buttocks.
Also, a young man, whose head was reportedly shaved by the soldiers said, “They said I should take off my cap and when I did so, they flogged me and asked me to kneel down. When I asked what my crime was, he ordered me to sit down and then brought out a pair of scissors from his pocket.The funny thing was that they collected money from us for the haircut.”
Speaking on the incident, Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon Seun Fakorede, said the Nigerian Army has arrested the soldiers involved.
The Commissioner in a series of tweets on Monday said, “My ears are full of news of the unlawful activities of some soldiers of the Nigerian Army, over the weekend. I have immediately reached out to the Commandant of the Operation Burst and I’ve been assured that the men involved in this distasteful operation have been arrested and taken to the barracks — they will be dealt with accordingly.”
“This will not repeat itself again in Oyo State. Please, kindly go about your daily business and activities without fear. Thank you,” he said.
The Commander of the Operation Burst team, Captain Usolo while responding to question on Fresh FM live programme, #EndSARS situation room confirmed the arrest of the soldiers involved in the act described by him as barbaric.
Captain Usolo said the soldiers have been detained and as well been replaced from the security saying, “those replacing them are to resume immediately on Monday.”
The Commander of Operation Burst however, apologised to the families of those assaulted by the said soldiers in the course of their operation, saying, “the affected victims are to be contacted by the operation to appease them.”
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