Army arrest soldier for cutting Pastor’s hair

By Akpokona Omafuaire and Egufe Yafugborhi
WARRI – The Nigerian Army, 3 Battalion Effurun, Delta State yesterday arrested an overzealous soldier on guard at the Alegbor Check point for violently cutting the hair of General Overseer and Founder, Tower of Faith Ministries, Rev. Felix Omas.
The humiliation of the clergy, Vanguard gathered, infuriated the 3 Battalion's command who promptly arrested and detained the soldier with promise to charge him for improper conduct.
Narrating his ordeal almost in tears at the Warri NUJ Secretariat, the molested victim, Rev Omas said, "I was driving in my SUV but due to the traffic situation, I boarded a tricycle. The soldiers stopped our Keke as we were coming from Alegbor, forcibly seated me on the ground as one of them pulled a scissors and stroke three ugly cuts on my hair, saying my hair style violates their rules."
Omas who was heading to Warri with one of his colleagues when encountered the humiliation from the army said he succumbed to the public disgrace as the soldiers threatened to shoot him with a gun.
A top military official at the 3 Battalion who pleaded anonymity abhorred the conducted of the alleged offender, confirming that he has been arrested and facing pretrial while the Sergeant believed to have ordered the molestation of the Reverend would also be summoned for questioning.
"What he did was wrong; He said that the community asked them to cut hair of youths with weird styles, so that was why he did it. We never sent soldiers to cut people's hair. We sent them for security of lives. The Pastor is an elderly person, he will face military discipline."
Reacting to the development, National Coordinator, Centre for the Vulnerable and the Under Privileged, CENTREP, Oghenejabor Ikimi described soldiers act as "Inhuman and degrading treatment under Section 34 (1) of the I999 Constitution as amended.
"I will take the Army to court to enforce the Pastor's human rights. This will serve as deterrent to other gun trotting uniform personnel who sees civilians as non humans. No security can be done without consideration for human rights."
Ikimi, a lawyer promised to offer free legal aid to Omas and other victims of military brutality.
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