Effurun, Delta State yesterday arrested an
overzealous soldier on guard at the Alegbor
Check point for violently cutting the hair of
General Overseer and Founder, Tower of
Faith Ministries, Rev. Felix Omas.
The humiliation of the clergy, Vanguard
gathered, infuriated the 3 Battalion's
command who promptly arrested and
detained the soldier with promise to charge
him for improper conduct.
Narrating his ordeal almost in tears at the
Warri NUJ Secretariat, the molested victim,
Rev Omas said, "I was driving in my SUV but
due to the traffic situation, I boarded a
tricycle. The soldiers stopped our Keke as we
were coming from Alegbor, forcibly seated
me on the ground as one of them pulled a
scissors and stroke three ugly cuts on my
hair, saying my hair style violates their
rules."
Omas who was heading to Warri with one of
his colleagues when encountered the
humiliation from the army said he
succumbed to the public disgrace as the
soldiers threatened to shoot him with a
gun.
A top military official at the 3 Battalion who
pleaded anonymity abhorred the conducted
of the alleged offender, confirming that he
has been arrested and facing pretrial while
the Sergeant believed to have ordered the
molestation of the Reverend would also be
summoned for questioning.
"What he did was wrong; He said that the
community asked them to cut hair of
youths with weird styles, so that was why he
did it. We never sent soldiers to cut people's
hair. We sent them for security of lives. The
Pastor is an elderly person, he will face
military discipline."
Reacting to the development, National
Coordinator, Centre for the Vulnerable and
the Under Privileged, CENTREP,
Oghenejabor Ikimi described soldiers act as
"Inhuman and degrading treatment under
Section 34 (1) of the I999 Constitution as
amended.
"I will take the Army to court to enforce the
Pastor's human rights. This will serve as
deterrent to other gun trotting uniform
personnel who sees civilians as non
humans. No security can be done without
consideration for human rights."
Ikimi, a lawyer promised to offer free legal
aid to Omas and other victims of military
brutality.
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