Oyinbo man allegedly orders soldiers to brutalise man in Edo state

NAIJ.com gathered that a young man was allegedly brutalized by some men of the Nigerian Army in Edo state, following instructions from an 'oyinbo' man.

What do you do when the people who promised to keep you safe turn around to become the source of your worry?

Such was the case of a young man in Benin City, Edo state, who recently suffered brutality at the hands of soldiers who were reportedly acting on the instructions of an 'oyinbo' man.

According to a post shared by the Edo Civil Society Organisations, the young man identified as Innocent Okpara, was beaten up at the request of an oyinbo man who works at the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) for refusing to allow the officials take his disconnected wires.


Innocent Okpara claims he was beaten up by some soldiers who were acting on the instructions of an Oyibo man Photo Credit: Edo Civil Society Organisations

See what they wrote below:

"Earlier today, a white man working with the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) orders Military personnel attached to him to beat up one Mr. Innocent Okpara over resistance of the electricity company officials to take his expensive wires after disconnection for non payment of electricity bills.

This happened behind Santana Market, Sapele Road, Benin City in the presence of the Business Manager, a Nigerian in charge of the business unit that covers the area. The man has been disconnected for owing the company an amount he said could not be justified, his argument was that, he bought the wires with his money and that it does not belong to the private company hence, he was not going to allow them to take away the expensive wires.


Mr Okpara was left with bruises

Reports have been passed to the 4 Mechanized Brigade, Benin City severally on the activities of soldiers who molest and assault citizens and no action have been demonstrated to show there is still value for human rights even in a democratic dispensation like ours. A lot of such incidences are archived with pictorial evidences and victims are readily available to testify of military brutalization and assault on their persons without direct provocation that warrants same.

It is important for Nigerians to still know if our leaders have finally handed over the life and destiny to foreigners or this is another round of colonial rule using our military to achieve.

The Edo Civil Society Organisations will stop at nothing to mobilize all other Nigerians to resist any form of colonial tendencies even if our leaders are docile and non chalant about it. We cannot tolerate it, because Nigerians in the Diaspora cannot try what these white men are daring here.


Mr Okpara was reportedly beaten for refusing to allow BEDC officials take away his disconnected wires Photo Credit: Edo Civil Society Organisations

To this end, we are demanding a full scale investigation into the activities of these white men working with BEDC to the extent that whether they possess such rights in line with our constitution to command our military personnel to unleash terror on citizens. We cannot be slaves in our own land because these white men are here to elk a living for themselves and another round of colonial tendencies we shall resist even with the last drop of our blood. The most stupid Nigerian at least deserves some respects from a foreigner in his land.

We own the Land.

INNOCENT OKPARA DEMANDS JUSTICE FROM THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT, THE HUMILIATION ON HIM BY A FOREIGNER IS TOO MUCH. WILL THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT ACT?

CC: ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, GOVERNOR, EDO STATE, CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF, COMMANDER, 4 MECHANIZED BRIGADE, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE SERVICES.

INSPECTOR GENERAL OF NIGERIA POLIC