Who Knows This Soldier And His Captive?

THE young man you see in this photograph was in the vice-like grip of an enraged soldier drafted to violently quell the spontaneous protest over the announcement of results of the last governorship election in Osun State on April 15, 2007. Please, do not ask me how we sourced this photograph as the question will never elicit any answer. Our source, whose identity is known only to God Almighty made this photograph available to us. In this edition, the photograph has returned as the subject of our enquiry.
Events in Osun State have continued to confound the most reticent and cool- nerved in the comity of men. It is surprising that a nation that was held spell-bound to the tales of horror during the sitting of Justice Chukwudifu Oputa panel, has learnt nothing from the gory tales of Nigeria’s dirty past. Not even during the military era did anyone have the temerity to violate the law with impunity and get away with it as it is today.
Nigeria, our dear country, is passing through a difficult time today because those who have seized the reins of administration by the jugular after hijacking the electoral process with abrasive corruption and violence on April 14, 2007 are the ones making laws in parliament and ruling the nation. In the aftermath of this larceny and rape of Nigeria, crooks have become governors; murderers are legislators while their hirelings have become lords of terror against the weak and defenseless particularly in the opposition.
Dear loyal readers, kindly recall that days before the April 14, 2007 elections, Major-General Mohammed Saleh, then the General Officer Commanding the 2nd Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army, led soldiers to Osogbo. Before this time, retired Brigadier-General Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the Governor of Osun State had threatened that he would bring his 30-year military experience to bear on the elections. Little did anyone know that he had concluded arrangements to draft soldiers into Osun State to suppress his opponents.
What amazed me was the fact that the soldiers drafted into Osun State were members of the elite Nigerian Army known for their professionalism and non-partisanship. My uncle, Colonel Ayodele Fayemiwo retired as the Director of Military Pension. I know him for his forthrightness and absolute loyalty to anything Nigeria. He left the Army with his integrity and honour intact and untainted. In his circle of friends, I still recall the name of Major Olasubulu of blessed memory. He was a soldier of honour, who could not be used for narrow un-Nigerian interest. Till his remains were interred into mother earth, his pedigree as a soldier was never assailed.
My readings of the Nigerian Army and its evolution showed that soldiers are men of honour and not scallywags, who do the biddings of illegality to satisfy narrow interest of tin-pot tyrants. That is why I continue to doff my hat for Major-General Abdulkarim Adisa who, after he was released alongside others from jail, he confessed that he and his colleagues actually planned the Diya Coup, stressing that it was necessary to unseat General Sani Abacha. If the dead do see each other, it is probable that General Adisa would have made peace with General Abacha for what took place on earth.
In my formative years, some of the books I had the privilege of reading was “The Five Majors” by Major Wale Ademoyega. The man told the truth as it was. He explained how they did some things on the January 15, 1966 coup and why they did it. Ademoyega, like a soldiers’ soldier, took responsibility for the actions of his colleagues. Ademoyega, unlike the ex-soldier whom my lovely Aunty Tola Adenle of The Nation newspaper would refer to as “rGO”, did not attempt to cast his colleagues in the shadow of cowards. He held the forte for his fellow officers like Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, Major Onwuatuegwu, Colonel Victor Banjo, Major Emmanuel Ifeajuna and even Lieutenant Fola Oyewole. Years later, I was able to read the account of Fola Oyewole and I found many striking similarities.
As recent as last year while I was reading excerpts of the book written by retired Major-General Alabi Isama, I still found that true soldiers are men of honour who would rather lose their lives than live a lie. Colonel Adekunle Fajuyi was another example of honest and altruistic personality of the Nigerian Army.
In all these personages, there was not one of these gallant men who threatened the civil population with terror like Oyinlola did before and after the last general elections in Osun State. Never in the history of the Nigerian Army did I read of an officer who stood on the road and ordered the shooting of civilians as Oyinlola did in Ilesa, Osun Sate on Sunday April 15, 2007.
Watching the film titled “Is Osun State Mogadishu?” I recalled General Oyinlola telling the Police Area Commander whom he called Ambrose that: “You are the most useless officer I have ever seen in my life. This is a job that I did for 30 years. Why didn’t you put a road block here. You can see a whole GOC (General Officer Commanding) here. If I have to bring a whole Division here, I will do it! I will do it!!”
As he belched this order with General Saleh standing beside him in Ilesa on that day, the soldiers went into operation and sacked the entire ancient city of Ilesa with guns booming and civilians running helter skelter.On camera, many victims of the operation were seen lying down lifeless on the floor, while one of them moved his legs as if he was in the throes of death. Strikingly, one soldier who looked every inch like a subaltern, armed with his service pistol was seen in this photograph holding down this young man while pointing his gun at him.
The young man was unarmed and did not appear to deserve this deadly treatment he was subjected to by this soldier. He is a taxpayer, whose contribution to nation building enables Nigeria to pay the salary of his pistol-wielding captor. If we were to be operating under a normal democratic setting, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the Ministers of Defence and that of Internal Affairs ought to have resigned their appointments with the publication of this damning photograph.
Since it was published, several efforts have been made to locate the young man to no avail. No one could know what happened to him after this gruesome encounter with the soldier in Ilesa on April 15, 2007. Our checks have not yielded any useful results and for this reason, we have decided to make our search for him public.
It has become a task that must be carried out because our people must know what happened to this young man, who was part of the crowd that reacted spontaneously to the electoral heist committed against Osun State early in the morning of April 15, 2007.
I know that soldiers are trained and allowed to shoot and kill enemy soldiers in combat situation. The rule of engagement must have been set out and determined. It comes only after police operation has failed to pacify the conflict situation. When all civil efforts have failed to remedy the situation, then soldiers are called-in to use force to achieve peace.
While in operation, the Geneva Convention directs that soldiers sent on combat operations must protect unarmed civilians from any harm. Even when armed combatants are captured in battle, international law describes them as “prisoners of war”. They must be protected and well-treated by their captors in captivity, until the terms of their release is worked out.
The man in this picture that was held down by a soldier acting under the order of Governor Oyinlola is no where to be found till now. Our searches for him since this picture was published have not yielded any result and that is why we decided to throw open the task, so that we can know what happened to him after this encounter. We are also interested in knowing the detailed particulars of the soldier who held him down.
However, anybody who knows the identity of this young man held to the ground by this soldier is invited to come forward and give useful information to the management of Moremi Publishing Company, publishers of Osun Defender newspaper. There is a reward of N10,000 for any useful information that could lead to the whereabout of this young man and the soldier. We know that the Nigerian Army has a detailed record abouts their personnel. Any information provided shall be treated with utmost confidentiality and we guarantee that the identity of the informant(s) shall be protected with our time-tested honour and integrity. We give our words and it shall remain our bond.
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