Eseoghene Al-Faruq Ohwojeheri wrote:
WHAT THE VIDEO SHOWS CLEARLY People have been sending me the video of the road incident between the Army and the Shia group and i want to say thanks, i have since seen it. The facts in this video are: 1. There was NO attempt to assassinate the COAS. In short there were extensive discuss between those who unlawfully blocked the road and himself and the spokesman both of whom were very humble but later lost their temper understandably. 2. Up until the video magically jumped to when the road was clear, no one tried to lay hand on the Chief of Army Staff or any of his men. The assassination attempt just did not happen in the video. Why will the military cut the actual attempt to reach the COAS when that is their argument exactly? Or is it that argument and shouting of slogans that is termed assassination attempt on a General???? 3. As soon as the Spokesman came down to pacify the youths some soldiers were already positioning to take shots and the man had to scream on top of his voice "don't shot, don't shot. we just want to pass". 4. There was no gun in sight from the protesters. The only people holding guns, and rightfully so, was the army. 5. Unlike the picture of "they attacked me" being created there was no stoning, no attack, just blocking of the road (which of course was wrong and illegal). 6. Just as the Army Chief told his boys "don't shot". One of the leader of the protesters is seen turning back and gesturing that everyone calms down. The picture of they were out to kill the soldier is just a lie. This was a disagreement during which the youths were unruly and lawless just like the student union when they block federal roads. 7. The persons who blocked the road were not exceptionally big and armed. They were youths without body built who carried mostly sticks, with fewer catapults and i only spotted one or two with machete and they never came close to any officer. If they did i am sure the military would not edit out that part of the video. 8. Until the video miraculously jumps, the road was full but THERE WAS NO ATTACK OR THREAT OF IT. Just a "you will not pass" blockade. If there was more than this please why will the video taken and released by the Army not show it???? NB: I insist that the military does not open fire on civilians who have not attack them. Not even a threat of attack is good enough for fire from the military to be opened on civilians. With due respect to my friends in the military, if we all remove the sentiment of these persons being Shia we will see that we cannot have a community where whoever blocks the road from the military to pass is shot dead even before he tries to attack. Added to this i recognized that things may have been different on the ground, but at least i am saying Nigerians should not cheer you up but ask why you shot fellow Nigerians and if your explanations are good then we accept it. But not this game of they wanted to assassinate COAS or COAS is too big to be stopped. If students were protesting and they become this unruly will they also be shot dead? Was there no other option to prevent this security challenge we have all entered? How about re-enforcing to remove these boys to the barrack even if for thorough beating? How about forcing your way through? Even in the process someone is killed that is different from opening fire on people so much so that your video jumped from an argument (in which you were right though) to a clear road made clear by your bullets. And after all these why the continued onslaught and propaganda that they wanted to kill your COAS? These are my issues with the military not that anyone who blocks the road is right. Everybody agrees that blocking the road even if COAS is not there is wrong. BUT YOU DON'T HANDLE THE SITUATION LIKE THIS. Nigerians who celebrate this action today may be the victim tomorrow because the military will not realise that opening fire on civilians no matter how unruly is not an option except you actually fear for your life which the video never showed.
