Soldiers reportedly acting on the orders of an army general, name withheld on Wednesday attacked development control officials who were in Sabon Lugbe, Abuja, to remove some illegal structures in the area.
The officials were in the area to remove the fence of a building on Plot 416 said to belong to one Major General.
An official of the department narrated their ordeal this way; “During this operation, there was an incident that happened at Plot 416 Sabon Lugbe that belongs a Major General.
“When the removal was going on, the Major General got information of the removal. He sent two soldiers to his house to ascertain the situation.
On getting to the scene, the soldiers who drove the covered number plate vehicle blocked the way out of the house to prevent the enforcement team from coming out of the premises; threatening that somebody must die today.
“Private Jamilu (surname unknown) went straight to the caterpillar operator, cocked his rifle and pointed straight to him to come down or risk being shot immediately.
“He politely came down but was grabbed by the two soldiers who squeezed his neck with his clothes, beat him mercilessly and tore his shirt.
“Private Jamilu pulled his rifle and fired the four tyres of the caterpillar flat. He then called the Major General to come along with more soldiers for re-enforcement, and he came with them in numbers.
“He ordered his men to take Sector Sodangi and his site officer to his house, beat them even right from outside alongside six enforcement officials who where also taken hostage for hours.
“Three Hilux vehicles were taken to the Major General’s house while the remaining vehicles that they could not lay hands on had their tyres flattened with gun shots.
“On receiving the information, the DPO Trademore came to the scene but the Major General refused to take compliments nor listen to her. She left and said she would come back.
