Topic: Naval ratings beat, strip lady naked

Six armed naval ratings attached to a Rear Admiral went berserk on Monday in Lagos, beating up a lady identified as Uzoma Okere.

By the time the madness ended, Okere, who was forcibly handcuffed, was left with a battered face, blood-shot eyes and bruises all over her body.

She is currently receiving treatment at Kamorass Hospital in Victoria Island.

Our correspondent learnt that the incident happened at about 6pm on Muri Okunola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Okere’s offence was that she did not quickly give way for the ratings’ boss‘ two-car convoy on her way home in her Mitsubishi colt.

According to eyewitnesses, the naval ratings hit the lady with their gun butts and beat her with horsewhip, and also allegedly attacked another occupant of her car for attempting to come to her rescue.

The Rear Admiral, simply identified as Arogundade, was said to be inside a Peugeot 406 car marked NN 357 A 02 at the time of the incident.

Instead of apprehending his men, the naval officer was alleged to have blamed the lady for holding on to the ratings‘ uniforms while they were beating her.

He was also quoted as saying that the lady should thank her stars that she survived the beating from his men.

Members of staff of Price WaterHouse Coopers, who reportedly witnessed the incident and later protested the harassment in front of the house where the naval officer entered on the same street, were also allegedly beaten up by the ratings, on the instruction of their boss.

A popular comedian who witnessed the incident but spoke on the condition of anonymity, told our correspondent on the telephone that he saw blood and the battered eyes of the victim.

The victim later told our correspondent on her hospital bed on the telephone that she was heading towards Mile 2 from the Lagos Island where she worked when the incident happened.

Okere, who claimed that she had a military background, said immediately she saw Arogundade’s convoy, she knew that a Rear Admiral was inside the car and she quickly gave way.

She said, ”We were all in the traffic. I heard a siren behind me. One of them came out to control the traffic. I was moving to the left when he suddenly pulled me out. They dragged me into the house tore my clothes. I was beaten up mercilessly. My head is really swollen with bruises all over me.”

She added that she managed to get her colleagues to call her father who works in Abuja to speak with the Rear Admiral on phone.

”My father spoke with the man on the phone later but he lied to him (her father) that I was fighting with his men. They would have beaten the two other ladies in my car like they did to my male colleagues if not for the fact that they are pregnant,” she added.

Okere said she had contacted a human rights lawyer who advised her not to report to any police station since the case involved a senior officer.

She said the Rear Admiral later gave her the shirt she wore to the hospital in a condescending manner.

“He never apologised for the abuse and criminal act,” she added.

But the Information Officer, Western Naval Command, Commander, Foluso Ajibulu, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the telephone said that both parties were already resolving the matter.

Ajibulu said, “The information we had was that the lady in question is the daughter of a retired colonel. May be it was her background that made her to snatch a horsewhip from one of the escort men.”

He admitted that the security man would not have taken the matter lightly with the lady and that might have led to the assault on her.

I saw the inhuman act displayed on the media yesterday. It was a very humiliating scene. I don't think a responsible officer would allow his ratings to go that length. it's dehumanizing.