[size=14pt]General brutalises IG’s in-law at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja[/size]
By Rotimi Akinwumi Correspondent, Abuja

• Victim set to sue Arik Airline




http://odili.net/news/source/2010/jan/8/401.html


A Nigerian resident in the United States, who was beaten by soldiers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja on Sunday has concluded arrangement to sue Jacob Olajide, a retired Brigadier General, who ordered his maltreatment.

He also plans to sue Arik Airline for complicity.

Uche Onyeanusi, brother in-law to the Inspector General of Police, Ogbonna Onovo, was beaten into coma by two soldiers on alighting from Arik flight W3161 which he boarded in Lagos.

Onyeanusi told Daily Independent that disagreement broke out between him and Olajide where they queued along with other intending passengers to buy flight tickets at the Arik counter in Lagos.

Onyeanusi said he came to Nigeria to spend the holidays with his relatives and attend to other issues.

He narrated that he incurred the wrath of Olajide when he prevented him from jumping the queue, a challenge which led to an exchange of words between them, during which Olajide threatened to deal with him severely on their arrival in Abuja.

Onyeanusi said Olajide’s aides descended on him and gave him the beating of his life immediately he disembarked from the plane. Other passengers looked on in awe as he was being pummelled.

An eyewitness who was on the flight, Michael Ihemaguba, a medical practitioner also based in the U.S. (and an American citizen like Onyeanusi), said he was surprised that a policeman at the scene prevented him (Ihemaguba) and others from rescuing the victim.

He recounted that Onyeanusi ran into the office of the State Security Service (SSS) when he was pursued by the soldiers, but the door of the office was forced open by the soldiers as the lone female SSS operative in the office attempted shutting the door against them.

Ihemaguba said he and other passengers had to risk their lives to save him from being beaten to death, as they rushed and held the two soldiers when one of them took a bottle and was about to smash it on the head of Onyeanusi who lay on the ground bloodied and unconscious.

The soldiers took Olajide’s luggage and left the airport without anybody arresting them after Olajide had identified himself as a Brigadier General to airport security personnel.

The incident was caught on tape by the airport security, and was reported to the airport police.

Onyeanusi was revived by Ihemaguba and the airport medical team.

Arik employees who witnessed the incident made statements to the SSS before proceeding to the police station.

However, efforts by the police to unravel the true identity of the soldiers for prosecution are being impeded by Arik and the airport security, both of which refused to co-operate with the police officer investigating the case.

Arik reportedly told the officer that it is not bound by law to release its passenger manifest through which the name of Olajide could be ascertained.

The airport security also allegedly refused to release the video tape of the incident.

It was learnt that the military Commandant at the airport has been shown the tape and has identified the culprit but refused to disclose the true identity of Olajide.

After watching the tape, he told Onyeanusi and the police that the name of the General was wrong, but confirmed that the man is no longer in service .

Calls made to the commandant’s mobile telephone line were picked by his aide who said his boss was not available for comment.

It was learnt that the policeman investigating the case made an official application to the airport security to release the tape, but the request was denied.

Pressure is being mounted on Onyeanusi to drop the case as he was told to see some serving senior Army officers who are prepared to settle the matter amicably.

But he has refused to bulge, and stated his readiness to pursue the matter to a logical conclusion by getting a lawyer to sue Arik for failing to release the passenger manifest to the police.

He said he will also report the incident to the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria.

However, Arik Spokesman, Banji Ola, argued that the airline should not be blamed because it did not have control over what happened on the tarmac.

He also said for security reasons, Arik cannot be compelled by individuals to release its passenger manifest.

In line with international standards, only the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) or the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) can compel an airline to release its passenger manifest, Ola explained.

Man powershow again. I hope he wins, these x-military are causing so much harm.

Onyeanusi told Daily Independent that disagreement broke out between him and Olajide where they queued along with other intending passengers to buy flight tickets at the Arik counter in Lagos.

Onyeanusi said he came to Nigeria to spend the holidays with his relatives and attend to other issues.

He narrated that he incurred the wrath of Olajide when he prevented him from jumping the queue, a challenge which led to an exchange of words between them, during which Olajide threatened to deal with him severely on their arrival in Abuja.

Onyeanusi said Olajide’s aides descended on him and gave him the beating of his life immediately he disembarked from the plane. Other passengers looked on in awe as he was being pummelled.

Amazing!!

Freakn barbarian! If he felt he had crazy incredible hulk strength, why didn't he challenge dude to a fair one.why he had military dudes beat duke up? BTW, wut the hell was military dudes doing at a civilian airport except they was on they way to being flown out to iraq or something!

How can a whole general be proud to jump a queue and even when he was asked not to do so, he bullied the person?. What kind of country is Nigeria?

This is just terrible. these fake people that we call police didn't even bother helping. until law and order is established in nigeria things like this will continue to happen.

Imagine patraeus or norman schwarzkpoff doin somthn that stupid. The courts would be more than happy to have a go at em

Terrible thats like that guy who slapped the security guard in Abuja also. You would think since so many rich people live in Abuja, they act civilised but they bring their barbarian lifestyle everywhere they go.

Did anyone notice that the victim was completely HELPLESS in the situation. This is classical Nigeria. Classical jungle. The "general" like this has no regard for any rules or laws of Nigeria. Nigeria is a joke. I will soon launch a lucrative business in Nigeria: bringing all these types of people to justice, by hook or crook.

Some people want the military to return.

Idiots.

That is part of why I love America. People like these are arrested by ordinary citizens using "private attorney general" provisions of the law. That is what bounty hunting is about. It is a very lucrative business. Nigeria has some ways to go but it is possible to bring these types of people to justice through civilian action. You will be shocked how many people would pay for your service.
The "general" would be made to pay for even his own arrest!

Onlytruth:

That is part of why I love America. People like these are arrested by ordinary citizens using "private attorney" provisions of the law. That is what bounty hunting is about. It is a very lucrative business. Nigeria has some ways to go but it is possible to bring these types of people to justice through civilian action. You will be shocked how many people would pay for your service.

No American general will be so uncivilized to behave like this. That general must be a bush man with little power.

@strangleyo; 'some'people want the military to return?! U should change that to 'most' people. 4-1 I bet the military is coming back to rule yall b4 the end of july 2010!

I have always been curious where the legendary sergeant rogers is from?

SEFAGO:

I have always been curious where the legendary sergeant rogers is from?

Plateau State.

These other brutalizers and killers we are discusing now seem to be doing[b] so on personal grounds[/b] and with impunity, incomparable to state-sponsored incidences

Mekusxyz:

I Would rather believe that Mustafa's position as CSO to abacha was more from loyalty and family ties than from any SUPER MILITARY qualifications. He certainly was not the most qualified for that position. Anyways, all that is history now; these ones are hapenning under a so-called democracy. Big difference

Mustafa was trained by the Mossad, KGB and the North Korean intelligence.

Back to the topic, does anyone know of any laws in Nigeria that allow ordinary citizens to arrest and bring before a competent court of law(act as the attorney general temporarily on the case), a fugitive of the law? Do we have such law in Nigeria? Anyone with the knowledge please volunteer.
If we don't have such law, then incidents like these will continue because of too much corruption in the police and attorney general's office.

What,u gone try to arrest the general on some citizen's arrest ish? A general that had the nerves to whoop a U.S citizen into coma status? Well, goodluck on that one

bk_baybe99:

What,u gone try to arrest the general on some citizen's arrest ish? A general that had the nerves to whoop a U.S citizen into coma status? Well, goodluck on that one

I didn't mean ordinary people arresting the general but professional bounty hunters armed to do the job.
It is a lucrative business. Too many Nigerians are jobless. This can be one field to employ people.

Onlytruth:

Back to the topic, does anyone know of any laws in Nigeria that allow ordinary citizens to arrest and bring before a competent court of law(act as the attorney general temporarily on the case), a fugitive of the law? Do we have such law in Nigeria? Anyone with the knowledge please volunteer.
If we don't have such law, then incidents like these will continue because of too much corruption in the police and attorney general's office.

The general in question is not a fugitive. He is happily eating amala and ewedu in his home while his guards are eagled eyed  waiting to brutalize any ordinary citizen like you with a placard. Compare this story with the guy murdered by the mopol some days ago at Awka and tell me the difference.

Aloy`Emeka:

The general in question is not a fugitive. He is happily eating amala and ewedu in his home while his guards are eagled eyed  waiting to brutalize any ordinary citizen like you with a placard. Compare this story with the guy murdered by the mopol some days ago at Awka and tell me the difference.

Well, look at it this way. The victim approaches a private company (bounty hunters) and contracts them to take up his case. He pays them their fees and they swing into action. They first approach a court and files for a warrant of arrest (private attorney general arrest warrant) with substantial evidence. The court grants it. They swing into action.

Armed with the warrant, the bounty hunters trail the general to a less secure position, pounce on him and if his bodyguards try any nonsense, they give them the beating of their lives and drag their boss to jail. Next business day, they drag him before the court and take it from there. All these will happen without much police involvement.
The general won't be eating ewedu in peace for some time then.
And guess what, if convicted, he pays for all these plus punitive damages to his victim.
We have some ways to go in Nigeria

Onlytruth:

Well, look at it this way. The victim approaches a private company (bounty hunters) and contracts them to take up his case. He pays them their fees and they swing into action. They first approach a court and files for a warrant of arrest (private attorney general arrest warrant) with substantial evidence. The court grants it. They swing into action.

Armed with the warrant, the bounty hunters trail the general to a less secure position, pounce on him and if his bodyguards try any nonsense, they give them the beating of their lives and drag their boss to jail. Next business day, they drag him before the court and take it from there. All these will happen without much police involvement.
The general won't be eating ewedu in peace for some time then.
And guess what if convicted, he pays for all these plus punitive damages to his victim.
We have some ways to go in Nigeria

He will be released on a N10k/$60 bail the next day. He is only a suspect for assault and battery and not murder or ra *pe. No be Naija?

Aloy`Emeka:

He will be released on a N10k/$60 bail the next day. He is only a suspect for assault and battery and not murder or ra *pe. No be Naija?

It doesn't matter much until he is convicted (our courts are getting bolder these days, if you doubt that go ask Bode George). When he serves between 5 to 10 years for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, believe me others like him would learn. After his conviction, his estate will be confiscated to pay for all these plus damages.

All these would really depend on the determination of the victim to get justice. Nigerians should start asserting themselves. These people are not as impregnable as we think!

Onlytruth:

It doesn't matter much until he is convicted (our courts are getting bolder these days, if you doubt that to ask Bode George). When he serves between 5 to 10 years for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, believe me others like him would learn. After his conviction, his estate will be confiscated to pay for all these plus damages.

Which estate? A retired Nigerian civil servant?

Generals are supposed to be attacking terrorists and criminals. They are supposed to be at battle fronts with their mates not to molest powerless civilians. Even the military is corrupt. God help Nigeria!

Aloy`Emeka:

Which estate? A retired Nigerian civil servant?

Hull his a's's in jail and you will be shocked by how much he had stolen and stacked away for his wives and concubines!
Get him first and watch him promise to pay millions of dollars.
Retired civil servant my a*s*s'.

Onlytruth:

Hull his a's's in jail and you will be shocked by how much he had stolen and stacked away for his wives and concubines!
Get him first and watch him promise to pay millions of dollars.
Retired civil servant my a*s*s'.

Don't we have honest generals again in Nigeria?. Ebitu Ukiwe was kicked out as IBB's deputy and replaced with Augustus Aikhomu because he refused to partake in looting and embezzlement. What happened ti him?. They forcibly retired him from the navy.

Aloy`Emeka:

Don't we have honest generals again in Nigeria?. Ebitu Ukiwe was kicked out as IBB's deputy and replaced with Augustus Aikhomu because he refused to partake in looting and embezzlement. What happened ti him?. They forcibly retired him from the navy.

This "general" doesn't seem like the honorable one you mentioned. His impunity betrays him as one of those involved in oil bunkering and other shady deals. Something is pumping his ego.
His ego needs to be brought under the law.

Shame!

These type of stories still make headlines ? Stuff like this one occurs virtually every week in naija .modestly speaking.