Policemen beat up Soldier for refusing to wear face mask

IN Benin a Soldier was beaten up by a team of Security personnel made up of Policemen and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) after the said Soldier refused to wear a mask.

The popular Lagos Street in downtown Benin was thrown into tension as residents flee for fear of reprisals which was anticipated could be carried out by the Soldiers colleagues who later storm the area.

According to Tribune Online “the incident occurred barely 24 hours after the state government shut down all business activities in Lagos street over the refusal of traders and residents to comply with the state government’s directives to participate in the ongoing screening and testing exercise for coronavirus (COVID-19)”.

The Soldier refused repeated appeals by the Policemen officers and NSCDC officials to put on his facemask as stipulated by the State government to curb the spread of coronavirus.

According to a source who was present at the scene the Soldier it was learnt showed his identity card to the Policeman but was dismissed as being fake.

The source further said that the Soldier was angry when one of the Policemen shoved his wife with a gun in a bid to make her wear the mask.

Following the exchange of argument that ensued, the Policemen, and the NSCDC officers reportedly descended on the Soldier beating him mercilessly and in the process inflicted a wound on his head with the butt of the gun.

Angry Soldiers soon arrived the scene went to nearby Oba Police divisional headquarters, shot sporadically into the air to scare the Police and NSCDC officers.

However calm was eventually restored in the area following the intervention of senior Police and Army officers.