One Colonel Hillary of the Nigerian Army probably forgot that military rule ended in Nigeria in 1999; or maybe he imagined himself 007 acting in one of James Bonds blockbusters, where he is licensed to kill.
The Colonel is now wide awake and reality has dawned on him as he is all over the place pleading that he should be forgiven for brazenly battering and infringing on the rights of a final year Law student in Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Annunihu Bethel Chiagoziem.
Bethel's offence was his kind request for the military officer to park his car well, so that his can be accommodated at the packing space in front of Diamond Bank Gwarimpa, Abuja, on May 18, 2 016 in company of his sister-in-law for a transaction.
The Colonel despite that he parked his Toyota Camry diagonally, blocking the remaining three spaces, refused to adjust.
Not in the mood to exchange words with him, Bethel said he decided to "squeeze" his car into the remaining "little parking" space.
"To my surprise, after parking my car at the little space left he said I should remove my car so that he can park his own at the exact same position I just parked.
"This was the same person who turned down my earlier plea to park well so that both cars can be accommodated", Bethel wrote in a Police statement.
Trouble began when Bethel due to the busy road couldn't repark his vehicle.
Secondly, he wondered why the soldier, who was not in his uniform, would want to park at the same place he just parked after rebuffing his earlier appeal to the soldier to park his own car well so that both cars and even one more can be accommodated.
This action irked the Colonel as he ordered his details to handcuff the NSUK student.
The NSUK law student refused to be taken away fearing that he was being abducted since the soldier was not in his uniform.
He called the attention of the security officers manning the bank but they turned blind eyes.
While Bethel was in handcuff, the Colonel brought out Pistol from his car and hit him (Bethel) severally as he wreathed in agony.
Bethel was kicked and assaulted by the Colonel and his accomplices, sustaining several bruises and broken bones in the process.
Colonel Hillary capped his action by levelling the deadly Pistol on the forehead of the student threatening to kill him.
It was then that the bank manager, disturbed by the commotion in front of his bank's premises, came to save Bethel from an impending death.
The intervention of the Bank Manager and one Barrister Seun, was timely as the red eye soldier had corked his gun, ready to click the trigger while the gun's nozzle was starring Bethel in the face as bewildered crowd watched anticipating a blast that will silence the handcuffed man.
Bethel must have said his last prayer when his "saving grace" came.
The good Samaritans pleaded with the soldier to uncuff the law student.
By then Bethel had been beaten black and blue as his bruised face and entire body streamed of blood.
Sensing that he may have bitten more than he can chew, the Colonel entered his car and zoomed off.
But Bethel had bravely copied the number plate of his vehicle and other necessary identification.
As he rose from where the Colonel left him for dead, he headed to the nearest Police Station in Gwarimpa and lodged his case, after getting himself examined at the hospital.
He has also reported the case to the National Human Rights Commission and the Defence Headquarters.
In a matter of days, Colonel Hillary was summoned from his base in Calabar to face disciplinary action at Defence Headquarters.
He has since been frequenting the family house of his victim begging for forgiveness, a plea the family is yet to accept.
The case is still raging and the family of Bethel seems determined to make the Colonel pay for his actions.
"If you allow him go free, who knows who his next victim will be; he needs to be reminded that being a soldier or anything related to it, is not a license for you to trample on the rights of other Nigerians", said Bethel.
Source: NSUKCampusWatch
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