Soldiers attacked journalists for commenting on the traffic situation

A journalist in Lagos, Olalekan Fakoyejo has narrated how he was attacked by a soldier in Lagos over comments he made during a traffic situation in Ikeja area of ​​Lagos State.

Recounting his encounter with the soldier, Fakoyejo, Assistant Business Editor of TheCable, said he was riding a tricycle from Ikeja to Ogba on Saturday when he encountered the soldier.

According to him, the soldier was directing traffic when the tricycle carrying him maneuvered around the Pleasant Event Centre, off Ajao Road, Ikeja.

He said another tricycle attempted to maneuver in traffic but was stopped by one of the soldiers, who directed the rider to get off the tricycle as a form of punishment.

Fakoyejo said, “The soldier tried to punish the rickshaw driver who was on a different route. He asked the driver to get out and climb onto the roof of his rickshaw. What he did was causing a traffic jam, and I said this was causing a traffic jam. I was in another rickshaw in another lane, which was not far from where the other rickshaw was.

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“The soldier heard what I said, and he dragged me out of the tricycle. He started threatening me and ordered me to go to his colleagues who were not close to the incident. I refused to go, telling him that I had done nothing wrong, and he had no right to order me to report myself to his colleagues.

“During that time, he kept pushing me back to where he said his colleagues were, then one of his colleagues came and spoke to me. When I explained to the colleague who was walking towards us, the soldier who was threatening me immediately slapped me. I turned my face towards him.”

TheCable previously reported that a video recorded by an eyewitness showed the soldier repeatedly pushing the journalist while trying to hit him with a mace picked up from the ground, adding that when the soldier pushed Fakoyejo, his phone hit the asphalt and the screen shattered.

It further stated that passers-by then urged the journalist to leave the scene to avoid further assault, and as Fakoyejo walked away, two soldiers approached him and allegedly threatened to whip him while bystanders begged him to remain calm.