Pandemonium broke out in Igbeti area of Oyo State, after some soldiers allegedly beat a driver to a coma for his refusal to give them N50 as bribe.
The soldiers were said to have mounted a road block and extorted money from motorists especially commercial drivers and motorcyclists popularly called okada riders.
The development led to an outrage as irate youths staged a protest blocking the major roads in the community to register their displeasure against the action of the soldiers.
The protest caused traffic gridlock while commuters were stranded for several hours.
The victim, Azees Aleru, was returning from a mechanic workshop in his Golf car, with a registration number, Kwara SHA 509 XA, on October 3, 2017, when he encountered the soldiers and refused to give them N50 bribe for easy passage.
He was said to have explained to the soldiers at the security checkpoint that he had gone to fix his car at a mechanic workshop and that he had no passenger in the vehicle.
His refusal to give them the money infuriated the soldiers who use their gun butts to hit him Aleru and subjected him to brutality during which he slumped and went into a coma.
Aleru was rushed to a nearby private hospital by his colleagues, where he is currently in a critical condition.
A source close to the family disclosed to The Nation that the result of medical tests have shown that Aleru suffered injuries on his head as a result of the beatings received from the soldiers.
Condemning the action of the soldiers, one of Aleru’s colleagues said: ‘’ The soldiers should be reprimanded by the authorities and appropriately punished for the brutality inflicted on our colleague (Aleru).
‘’They have been forcibly extorting money from innocent motorists at the illegal checkpoint and constituted themselves into a parallel government instead of protecting the people for which they were commissioned.’’
Police spokesman, Adekunle Ajisebutu, denied the report in a text message forwarded to our correspondent, saying: ‘’I have no such report. However, I will find out and get back to you.”
