Alleged extortion: Soldiers, police clash in Ekiti

A group of soldiers of Ekiti State origin who had just completed their recruitment training attacked policemen in Ekiti on Thursday.
In the attack, the soldiers stabbed a policeman, Cpl. Abdulkadir Yakub, with a jack-knife.
An eye witness said Yakubu, a Traffic Police Officer, was attacked after he challenged the soldiers for extorting money from motorists and causing a traffic gridlock.
It was learnt that Yakub sustained deep cuts in the head and buttocks.
The young soldiers, who were 17 in number, were said to be returning from the Governor’s Office after a courtesy visit to Governor Ayodele Fayose.
The soldiers took to the streets and stopped vehicles at Fajuyi Roundabout to extort money from motorists and motorcyclists.
Cpl Monday Agom, who was on duty with the victim when the incident occurred at about 2.00pm, said Yakub was attacked by the soldiers after he pleaded with them not to cause a traffic gridlock during the alleged extortion.
Agom said, “One of the soldiers stopped a man in mufti who happened to be a policeman right in his car and demanded the car key, while Yakub was trying to pass him to allow for the next person in line, so as to free traffic which was already building up.
“Yakub then explained to him (the attacker) that the man he stopped is a police officer and that he should allow him to go as stopping him there would cause hold-up.
“This statement infuriated the soldier who immediately slapped Yakub, before bringing out a jack-knife with which he started cutting him at several parts of the body.
“I then joined other people to rescue Yakub from the soldier, who has started shouting ‘I will kill you, idiot; I will kill you, idiot” even as his colleagues (soldiers) had started punching Yakub who was already soaked in blood.”
The Mobile Policemen whose station was close to the scene were said to have mobilised to the scene and attacked the soldier in return.
It was learnt that one of the soldiers also sustained head injuries in the fracas.
The Officer in Charge of Army Operations in Ekiti, Cpt. Joshua Zoaka, who raced to the scene was not spared in the attack.
His team were said to have been attacked with tear-gas by the policemen.
Another eye witness confirmed Yakub had been on duty controlling traffic before the soldiers came some few minutes after 2.00pm and started stopping everybody.
The witness said, “I saw them when they were jogging to Governor’s Office, singing, and when they were returning.
“They came back and rather than go their own way, they stopped at this junction (Fajuyi Roundabout) and started stopping everybody, including okada riders and vehicles.
“At a point one of them started arguing with a traffic warden and soon brought out a sharp knife to cut the warden. At that point, I ran to another place to hide myself, but I could see some people trying to hold the soldier’s hands.”
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ekiti, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, a Superintendent of Police, said the incident has been reported to the Brigade Commander of the 322 Field Artillery Regiment in Akure, Ondo State.
Adeyemi said, “The soldiers, numbering 17, who were Ekiti State indigenes, just came back from a recruitment exercise in Zaria, Kaduna state and were in Governor’s Office for possible assistance from the governor.
“They chose to make some money by stopping motorists at the Fajuyi roundabout, during which arguments arose with traffic wardens on duty, one of which they stabbed with a jack-knife.”
“However the situation is under control as the Brigade Commander, Akure Division, was contacted and has come to pick up the recruits to face possible departmental questioning and sanctions.”