A Nigeria middle-aged man, Opeyemi Olaleye was brutalised following his encounter with lawless naval ratings in Ogun State.
According to Olaleye, he narrated his ordeal.
On the day of the incident, he joined others to watch a football match at a viewing centre located in the Akeja community, Ota Area of the state.
The victim on arrival at the centre with his friend around 9.00 pm, parked his car at a space where he felt was safe and not obstructing other cars.
Shortly after settling down to watch the match, he heard a protest from a man that a driver had blocked his motorcycle with his car.
Out of curiosity, the victim reluctantly abandoned the match he was watching and decided to check to ascertain he was not the offender.
On getting to the parking space, he realised it was his car the aggrieved man was complaining about.
Olaleye said “I was hearing someone causing and insulting a car owner while demanding that the driver should come and move his car. I stood up from where I sat immediately. On getting there I saw the guy still insulting the owner of the vehicle. I advised him that he should stop insulting and cursing the owner of the car.
“I advised him that rather than insulting and cursing, he should have informed the owner of the viewing centre who will then announce to his customers so that the owner would come and move his car.
“I did not even know that he is a naval rating because he was not wearing a uniform. There was even enough space for him to move his motorcycle but he insisted that I must move my car.
“When an argument ensued, I walked away. When he saw me walking away, he attacked me from behind. I tried to free myself but could not.”
Olaleye said he later apologised to Naval rating but turn deaf ear to his pleas.
He added “He started making calls. Some guys told me to run that he is a naval rating while others suggested that he should apologise to him. So, I started begging him, but he insisted that he will let me know who he was. Not long after, I saw some naval ratings on motorcycles.
“They started beating me at the viewing centre and took me to their barracks which is not far from the viewing centre. They were more than 20 naval ratings beating me with all sorts of weapons till I passed out. They poured water on me and ordered me to enter a drainage inside their barracks.
“When I was shouting, they took me close to a generating set so that people won’t hear my cry. It was when they noticed that I was losing consciousness that they pushed me out of their gate. It was the owner of the viewing centre and one other guy that came to pick me up from their gate.”
Ogun State Police Relations officer, Oyeyemi Abimbola, confirmed the incident when contacted.
Oyeyemi said, “The guy contacted me and I asked him to report at the Sango Police station. The DPO at Sango police station told him to get treatment first. By Tuesday, he will return so that they will follow him to that place to find out what happened.
“He had an issue with the naval people. This is not a police problem. But the case has been reported and we told him to go and treat himself first,” the PPRO added.
In the same vein, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Navy, Adedotun- Vaughan also confirmed the incident, adding those involved had been arrested and detained.
Also making it known it is against the code of conduct of the Nigerian Navy, for any naval personnel to take laws into their hands.
He said ” The Nigerian Navy has zero tolerance for molestation or harassment of civilians as naval personnel have repeatedly been cautioned never to take laws into their hands when they have issues with civilians. Accordingly, this was an isolated case and the culprits will be punished ”