Some civilian staff of the Ministry of DefenceHeadquarters, Abuja, on Tuesday, protested the alleged brutalisation of their colleagues by military officers posted to the ministry.
The protest, led by Elijah Ajunda, the chairperson of one of the workers’ unions in the ministry, started at about 8 a.m. at its premises in Abuja.
The protesters numbering about 50 blocked the entrance to the ministry and denied everybody access to the premises except the Minister, Mohammed Badaru, who they requested should address them anytime he reports for work. The minister was reportedly at the Presidential Villa when the protest was in progress.
The workers chanted songs and displayed placards with different inscriptions such as “Stop killing civilians”, “We are of equal state, that you hold gun does not make you superior”, and “This is part of the intimidation we were talking about.”
Mr Ajunda told PREMIUM TIMES that, apart from the headquarters, civilian staff of the ministry in different formations across the country have been facing threats, brutality and sometimes killed by men and officers of the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Navy over the years without justice being done even though the incidents were reported.
“For some time now the military have been brutalising our civilians, intimidating them, both at the headquarters here and various military formations.
“It has been reported severally, they would tell us they were investigating, they would tell us they had set up committees, they are doing this and that, but at the end of the day nothing comes out, no report.
“The families of the deceased are still awaiting the report of the committee that they said they have set,” he said.
Mr Ajunda said one staff member called Richard was killed by some Navy officers in Lagos in April and that the matter was swept under the carpet.
He also said an assistant director was beaten up on Monday.
“Not quite long ago, about two months ago a civilian staff was killed in Lagos, by a navy officer, about four Navy officers, gathered him, brutalised and killed him.
The body of the person we are talking about right now is still in the mortuary.
“Just yesterday again, an assistant director equivalent to a brigadier general was beaten by a group of private soldiers in Command Secondary School, and not quite long also, in another barracks, a youth corp member was brutalised by a military man too.
“One of our comrades too, Comrade Basi, was beaten by soldiers and he was admitted to hospital,” Mr Ajunda said.
The union chairperson said when the protest began in the morning, the military officers locked the gate and deployed their military dogs to threaten them.
“When we arrived here today again, the military locked up the gate and deployed their dogs to intimidate us.
“That is what we are facing in the Ministry of Defence and we are now saying enough is enough.
“We say we can not take it again, enough of military brutality.”
Our reporter also saw four dogs with some officers standing at the gate where the protesters were demonstrating.
