Soldiers beat up ATBU deputy registrar, wife in Bauchi

Posted by admin Armed Forces, Bauchi, Latest Politics, State News Monday, June 20th, 2011

Soldiers from the 33 Artillery Brigade Headquatres, Bauchi on Saturday beat the Deputy Registrar of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi and his wife to a pulp.

Mr. Andee Iheme and his wife, Moji were almost sent to their early graves as about eight soldiers pounced on them, raining blows, whips and verbal insults on the defenceless couple while helpless sympathisers could only watched.
The incident which happened around the Mobil filling station at the popular Gidan Mai area of the state capital had caused outrage among citizens in the state as the incidences of human rights violation by soldiers on innocent citizens seemed to be on the rise.

However, it was the first time a high profile citizen in the state and his family would be victims of the high-handedness of some of the military personnel. Mr. Iheme, a grandfather was groaning with pains as he narrated his ordeal to newsmen on his hospital bed at the Emergency Ward of the Abubakar Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.

Mr Iheme, who received in juries on his heads and body as a result of the beating while his wife was given a swollen mouth, said: “I had just finished training of customs men in Public Relations in Calabar and I was on my way back.
“When I got to Gidan Mai I called my wife to come and pick me at Mobil filling station. This was about a few minutes to four, my wife came and I got into the car. Just as we were going to get out of the mobil filling station, a blue Hilux van with two compartments just parked in front of us across the road. So my wife horned for him to move on. The Hilux van refused to move. She horned again.

“Meanwhile, the two persons in front of the van were discharging two girls who were sitting behind. So when my wife horned again, the next thing we saw was that the man who was on the driver’s seat did the sign of ‘Uwaka’ (Your Mother) with his two hands to us and I was shocked. So I told my wife to horn again and she did and this man did ‘Uwaka’ again and switched off the engine of his car so I wound down my glass and told him if eventually you move this car from here then you are a fool.

“He came out from the car and gave me a slap and before I knew it he was using his legs and throwing blows with me trapped in the car. So when I managed to come out of the car, I ran to his car and seized the key of his car to detain him so that I could get help. At this point, the man who was with him turned to my wife and was trying to seize the key of my own car and my wife gave him a bite and this same man who had accosted me went direct to the driver’s seat where my wife was driving and gave my wife a slap and her mouth started bleeding.

This man now called for help and suddenly I saw another Hilux van, with about six men in van, soldiers all armed. They all came down and the man told them to deal with me and I was being tossed around with blows and their guns.” The Public Relations Officer of the 33 Artillery Brigade, Major Etete confirmed to Daily Sun that the men involved were from the brigade, adding that the case was being investigated.

-Sunwp_posts