The incident occurred at Osubi town in the Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State, southern Nigeria.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has reportedly detained some of its officers who allegedly assaulted a Bolt driver, identified as Mr. Ojevwe Chris.
The incident occurred at Osubi town in the Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State, southern Nigeria.
The Air Force said that it would investigate the incident.
The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters on Monday.
Ojevwe had narrated how some unidentified serving NAF officers flogged him with a cutlass until he passed out.
The incident happened on Sunday, March 17, 2024.
The victim told SaharaReporters that two officers were ordered by their superior who was allegedly drunk to flog him with a cutlass.
He also alleged that the officer who held a bottle of an alcoholic drink collected the cutlass from one of them and flogged him mercilessly when he was not satisfied with the way his colleagues were beating him.
He said, "In the early hours of this morning on the 17th of March, I was returning from work as a Bolt driver, as I was about to enter my street, which is the Delta State Governor's Street Osubi town, the Air Force men at the base ordered me to park and I stopped my car. Before I got there, they were beating two other guys, whom I thought were thieves.
"When they approached me and asked who I was, I identified myself to them as a Bolt driver and had closed from work heading to the house in the same Osubi town. They checked my car thoroughly, and the next thing they said was that I should join the people they were beating.
“I showed them my ID card and even the Bolt drivers' app. I explained to them that I had had surgery some months back, with a severe medical condition.
"Before I knew it, he told me to hang myself in a particular place and brought out a cutlass, flogging me mercilessly until I passed out. He was severely drunk, and he intensified the beating with the cutlass.
“At that point, some persons who had escaped the same fate called my wife, who ran down to the scene with my little baby after being on the ground almost lifeless, close to my car.”
"A human rights activist Israel Joe whom my wife had called, had to call one of the intelligence officers who allowed my wife and others to rush me to the hospital. Then I had become unconscious, laying on the ground for close to three hours," he added.
While reacting to the incident, Gabkwet told SaharaReporters that the incident would be investigated.
"The Commanding Officer of the base has directed an investigation into the matter," he said.
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However, Mr. Ojevwe told SaharaReporters on Wednesday that the Air Force had reached out to him through the commander and that they frowned on the unprovoked and unwarranted actions of the personnel.
He said he was told that the officer had been detained as they would be taking disciplinary measures against him. He added that they took him to their hospital to carry out some examinations as well and promised to reach out to him in the shortest possible time in the course of the investigation.
He said, "The Air Force has reached out to me through the commander and they frowned seriously on the personnel that carried out such callous unprovoked and unwarranted actions on me, to beat me to a pulp until my wife and others came to rush me to the hospital.
"He said he was deeply sorry about the whole incident and confirmed to me that the officer involved in such an act is already detained as they would be taking all disciplinary measures on him.
"They took me to their hospital to carry out some examinations as well as made a promise to reach out to me in the shortest possible time since they are still investigating. A human rights activist, Comr. Israel Joe, who we reached out to and also cleared part of my hospital bill, had told us to allow the sleeping dog to lie since they had promised to reach out to me shortly.”
"I want to use this medium to thank SaharaReporters, Comr. Israel Joe, the Air Force commander, all bloggers and Nigerians who reached out to ensure my right was protected," he added.