Tuesday, November 04, 2008

So who will protect us from the people who should be protecting us?

A friend, I, called me yesterday and sent me a text about a colleague of her family member being beaten and stripped naked. I didn't have any more information. However today, she sent me a text to Google the name "Harry Arogundade." In the meantime, another friend, A, called me to ask if I had heard about the lady who was beaten up. I could only think back to the info from I.

So, I checked online and found the story on the Punch website. The victim, a lady Uzoma Okere, was dragged out of her car by the "boys" of naval rear admiral Arogundade, beaten and her clothes torn for allegedly not moving fast enough out of the way of the rear admiral's convoy.

This is one of the aspects of life in Nigeria that irks and angers one: this "big-man" syndrome and flexing of muscles. The police and military convoys, which demand that cars manned by civilians leap out of the path, are an utter bane in the life of Lagosians, where the endless traffic jams with cars lines in tight succession on all sides makes this inconvenient, not to mention impossible many times.

Apparently the lady Uzoma was blamed for holding on to the men as they beat her with a horse whip and the butts of their guns.

More info on The Village Square and a video on CNN iReport.

6 comments:

The Activist said...

We are no longer safe o. I am really sad over this

Anonymous said...

It's just horrible...theses people are wicked, i saw the video and I must say i was uterly distraught.....The man will be punished either legally or by God

GUZEE said...

The greatest shame and the greatest insult is a case where this lady will failed to go to court to enforce the breach of her fundamental rights. This is appauling and we all should not pretend as if nothing has happened we all should shout until justice is done in this case.

Ore said...

Yes, it was a horrible incident by all accounts and it would a real travesty for nothing to be done about it. I sincerely hope that she takes up the issue and fights for redress.

Tinuke said...

On a day when we are celebrating the achievements of an african american who dared to dream, against all odds, race notwithstanding;

We must question why it is taking us so long to get it right.

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely,

Why are these sorts of people in a position of power?

Why are they never held accountable for their actions?

For Nigeria to be any sort of success, there has to be accountability,

for our actions,

for our decisions.

Consequences and repacautions are the only way to govern the governors, the only way to hold those that think they are above the law, to the very same laws they should be advocating.

Only a few hours ago, I echoed the "Yes we can" mantra of the Obama campaign.

Can we? Can Nigeria

We must. We must.

Anonymous said...

I put a post up on my blog early this morning as well...please check it @ http://life-nolimit.blogspot.com/...the video is there as well...
The soldiers that did this are just animals!