By Peterson Ibi
There was pandemonium in Benin City, on Saturday, when a combined team of policemen and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps operatives beat up a soldier for not wearing face mask.
The incident occurred Saturday afternoon at Lagos street, barely 24-hours after the state government shut down the street to all business activities over alleged refusal of traders and residents of the street to comply with directives to participate in the ongoing screening and testing exercise for Coronavirus, as part of efforts to contain the pandemic.
It was gathered that trouble started when soldier walking down the street with his wife was asked to put on his face mask.
A witness said the soldier, who was wearing military khaki short had an handkerchief on his neck and his wife did not properly put on her face mask either.
“On entering Lagos street, the soldier and his wife were asked to wear their face mask by the policemen on duty. The soldier brought out his ID card to identify himself but a police officer dismissed the ID card as fake.
“The soldier got infuriated when one of the police officers pushed his wife with a gun in a bid to force her to wear the face mask.
“Following the argument that ensued, the policemen descended on the soldier and injured him on the head with the butt of their gun,” he said.
Traders and passers-by were forced to run in different directions, as men of the Nigerian Army who later stormed the area, shot repeatedly into the air to scare the policemen and NSCDC officers.
Quick intervention by officers of the Nigerian Army and the State police command, however quelled the situation.
The feuding parties were later driven to the nearby Oba Market Police division to resolve the issue.
The state police command spokesman, Chidi Nwabuzor, could not be reached on his mobile for comment.