A soon-to-wed couple allegedly assaulted by Nigerian military personnel has filed a lawsuit against the officers.
A viral video circulating on social media captures the alleged assault of Mr. Vershima Mker and Miss Lami Iorvihi by the officers over claim they obstructed a military convoy in the Gwarinpa area of Abuja.
The couple, according to a copy of the lawsuit shared by broadcast journalist, Rufia Oseni on Tuesday, stated that the military officers subjected the couple to abuse, and subsequently detained them for eight hours.
A follow-up video also shared by Oseni captured some details of the incident.
In the amateur footage, a female voice could be heard groaning, screaming and pleading with the officers.
At first, the video opened with Mker asking the personnel repeatedly, “How did I bash your car?” then followed with, “Oh God!”.
The officers briefly left the car, only to return with a horsewhip.
Mker was dragged out of his car and was later seen holding his head in a manner that appeared he had been hurt.
“Jesus! Jesus! He is not feeling fine”, Iorvihi said as she pleaded with the officers.
This, however, fell on deaf ears as the officers were captured using the horsewhip on the male driver. Lorvihi was also heard saying she had sustained injury from the clash with the officers.
When the officers found out she was recording the situation, one of the officers asked her to hand him the phone.
The officers were heard struggling to collect the phone, and eventually, the footage went blank.
In their lawsuit, the duo demanded “immediate payment of N150m compensation for the assault, inhuman treatment and injury caused to (A) Master Vershima Mker and (B) Miss. Lami Iorvihi.”
The lawsuit read partly: “We are solicitors to MASTER. VERSHIMA MKER and MISS. LAMI JENNIFER IORVIHI on whose full and firm instructions we demand for the immediate dismissal of Major General G.S. Mohammed and Corporal A. Abubakar and the sum of N150 million for their inhuman treatment of our clients by beating, subjecting them to abuse, wounding and causing them to be detained at the Police without them committing any known crime.
“Our clients are university graduates who are intending to get married soon and as part of their preparations, were in Gwarinpa vising relations and intending guests.
“While driving on 3rd Avenue, Gwaringpa the said Major General G.S. Mohammed driving with his convoy also joined the road with sirens blaring from behind.
“Despite the crowded sideways, our clients made haste and parked for the Major General.
“Yet the Major General G.S. Musa and his convoy blocked our clients and started beating and insulting them in a way that even prisoners of war are never treated.
“The video coverage and pictures released to us by our clients show Gen. G.S. Musa personally beating up our clients alongside Corporal A. Abubakar.
“The brutal army general and his details handcuffed our clients, pushed them into the boot of one of their vehicles and took them to the Gwarpa Police Station where the Army General ordered our clients to be detained until he would give word for their release.
“And true to his word, our clients were detained for 8 hours until General G.S. Musa personally came to the Police Station with armed soldiers and compelled our clients to write an apology to him under duress before they were released.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Army has ordered an immediate investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the altercation.
A statement signed by the Director of Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, read: “The attention of the Nigerian Army (NA) has been drawn to a viral audio-visual recording circulating on social media platforms, purportedly showing a senior Army officer and 2 other soldiers in an altercation with a man and woman within the Abuja metropolis.
“The circumstances leading to this incident are not clear at the moment. However, the Acting Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has ordered an immediate investigation to unravel the true circumstances surrounding this altercation.
“The NA remains committed to serving and protecting all law-abiding Nigerians as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Therefore, we urge the public to be rest assured that due diligence will be applied to reach a logical conclusion on this matter.”
