The headquarters of the Ministry of Defence in Abuja has been shut down by its civilian staff, who are protesting against the alleged brutalisation of their members by soldiers.
This demonstration is being led by the Joint Executive Council, which represents all affiliate unions of civilian staff within the ministry.
According to Didam Joel, President of the Council, a civilian staff member has been detained by military authorities for a month despite not being military personnel.
Additionally, an assistant director at Command Secondary School, Ojo, Lagos, was reportedly brutalised yesterday, an action that disregards civil service regulations.
The situation escalated on Monday when civilian staff, including members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), gathered outside the Defence Headquarters.
One of the unionists alleged that Ambrose Akhigbe, a civilian, was assaulted by a soldier under the command of Akubor (Lt) and is currently hospitalised.
Further allegations include the brutal killing of a laboratory scientist at the Naval Reference Hospital in Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos, two months ago.
An ASCSN official expressed concern over the ongoing violence, stating, “We were at the heat of it.
The person controlling the current crop of soldiers in all command schools in Lagos, including some civilian PSOs, are backing these shameful acts of killing Ministry of Defence staff at duty posts.”
The council is demanding a thorough overhaul of the command schools, urging that they be returned to their original structure, headed by professional education officers from the Ministry of Defence, with military personnel only providing security.
The Army has yet to release an official statement regarding these allegations. The protesting staff have vowed to continue their actions until their demands are met, emphasizing their fear for their safety and the need for immediate intervention.
Details later…
