Contrary to claims by the military that soldiers were not responsible for the burning of Bus Rapid Transit buses on Friday in Lagos, residents yesterday confirmed that the soldiers torched the vehicles.
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Army, Gen Olajide Olaleye had said that it was not Nigerian soldiers who carried out the rampage.
He said, “It’s not true that soldiers destroyed buses or set any bus on fire. What happened was that a BRT bus knocked down a soldier and killed him. As usual in Lagos, area boys gathered and a few soldiers stopped at the scene as well.”
But the residents in Onipanu area of Lagos told our correspondent that soldiers at the Abati Barracks were alerted immediately after the accident.
Debunking the claim, an elderly resident of Palmgroove estate who craved anonymity said, “The soldiers after the accident happened came and they began to vandalise and burn every BRT in sight and beating up everybody.
“We all saw it. They are the ones that burnt the buses. They can say it is area boys that came in army uniforms to burn buses and beat people up.”
Another, a motorcycle mechanic by Palmgroove bus stop who gave his name as Kasali said, “The soldiers came here yesterday they burned buses seized one of the estate’s security men here. The man was beaten mercilessly and taken away.”
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