A soldier has blasted Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for arresting his comrade and three other motorcyclists for driving against traffic on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
The unidentified soldier, who appeared to be defending his colleague in a viral video on Thursday, chastised Sanwo-Olu for calling a soldier ‘useless’ in the sight of ‘bastard civilians’.
According to the Platinum Times, Sanwo-Olu ordered the arrest of a soldier and three other motorcyclists on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway on Tuesday.
Sanwo-Olu was shown in a viral video directing his troops to put one of the bikers who claimed to be soldiers into the van, adding that he would lock him up.
In response to the arrest, the soldier, who believed his colleague had done nothing to merit detention, stated that the state governor had no right to detain a soldier, particularly in front of his barracks.
He argued that soldiers are not subject to the authority of any state governor, but rather of their senior officers.
He said,
“Did I just hear your governor calling a soldier, lance corporal useless? a lance corporal…This man broke his arm, they fired at the man. There is iron in his hands.
“You are calling a soldier useless in front of those idiots, those bastard civilians. DSS was pushing a soldier. In any situation where you find yourself as a soldier, the Army only gives you five seconds to compose yourself, so after that, you must know how to reply to any attack or anything that comes your way.
“Because he is a governor, I know he (arrested soldier) was shocked that the governor was arresting him. I know I am not perfect and I am not saying I am but in any situation I find myself, especially beside your barracks, nobody can arrest you. I repeat, nobody can arrest you because you have to stand your grand and nobody will slap you there.
“No DSS or police can slap you because you refuse to go. Why will you arrest me when there are IP and military police?
“Okay, will it be because I took one way beside my barracks? What if I just took the bike out to buy something? Do I have to take the long route because I want to buy something? Who does that? In which Amy?”
He added that the governor’s action was because Lagos was peaceful, saying that could never have happened in the North East where he is based.
He said,
“So, now, your governor has the guts to arrest and even call a soldier useless. To be sincere, Lagos has been experiencing too much peace. Let’s tell the truth, Lagos has been experiencing too much peace. Let us assume this happened in the North East where I am, is it here the governor’s convoy that is taking one way will arrest a soldier for taking one way?
“The governor constituted a nuisance. You are there pursuing civilians, what if they get involved in an accident along the line? The governor was there acting like a tout, a governor! When you are supposed to respect yourself. If the soldier said he is not going anywhere, nobody has the power to slap him. If the governor tries it, he knows he is already a bygone. The governor dare not slap a soldier.
“If I am directed by the MP, any of my senior, or any other officer to go to the guard room, I will go. But of the governor says so, I will never go. He doesn’t have the power. Who does he want to lock up?”
Platinum Times had earlier reported that the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Governor, Wale Ajetunmobi, revealed in videos shared on his X handle on Tuesday that lawless okada riders plying one way along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway left their motorcycles and passengers upon sighting the convoy of Sanwo-Olu.