The role of the Armed forces of any nation,I think, is to defend the nation and her citizenry, against internal and external breaches.I have lately Come to wonder on the role of the Nigerian army and other military personnel in the the defence of the nation and her citizens.
The men of the military have for long been feared by the masses more than they fear death itself. Anybody who opens his doors any day to find military at their door will try very hard not to wet their pants.I have been a witnesses to many cases where men of the armed forces publicly “dealt” with people over individual family grievances, political vendetta against perceived opponents of the governing “powers”. I can’t forget in a hurry,the kidnap of former governor of Anambra state,Senator Dr.Chris Ngige by men of the armed forces acting on ” orders from above” A governor at that!
Or do I begin to think of the ruthless SARS that arrest “criminals” and have them “disappeared” before they could even smell prison?
“The police is your friend” has become a poison in the ears of the masses.men of the transport industry can very well attest to the “friendship” of the police (Official and unofficial). One particular incident that made my blood freeze,was along the Enugu-onitsha road in Anambra,2006.A trigger-happy policeman, when he could not get the driver to part with the “usual handshakes”he pulled the trigger and sent a student(Ogidi Boys’high school)sitting in the front seat to his premature grave.Of course as you’d expect, nothing came out of the case.This is just to mention one out of a million cases.
Soldiers and their paramilitary counterparts have shown many countless times how they “protect” the masses .The video below shows one of such scenes where the weapons of the military sent unarmed civilians to their early graves “protecting the masses” I believe that the constitution of this country,and the definition of democracy as I understand it, permits peaceful protests.I was surprised how the army and other military personnel started “protecting” unarmed masses in Abia,Enugu and other parts of the East with assault riffles.What was their crime? They were protesting what they called “the rape of democracy” by the “military civilians” ruling the country. They were protesting the unlawful detention of Their man,NNAMDI Kalu,and other BIAFRAN activists.
They chanted war cries, they called the bluff on the “dictatorship” and the “persecution” of the “people of Biafra”
The military reacted swiftly,one of the scenes is what you see below. The army felled them,they still continued their cry.May the souls of the dead,rest in peace.
This is just one major case,not counting the Makoko incident, and other countless cases of military brutality on the masses.
The military should channel their power and prove their mettle against the Boko Haram and other military groups disturbing the country.Where are our Chibok girls? Leave the masses alone!
It’s just so very sad,I wept when I watched the video below, I wept for the army,I wept for the people, I wept for the government, I wept for Nigeria,I wept for democracy.