A NIGERIAN soldier has assaulted Olalekan Fakoyejo, assistant business editor with TheCable, following alleged about traffic obstruction in Ikeja, Lagos State.
According to a report by TheCable, the incident occurred on Saturday, May 2, while Fakoyejo commuted from Ikeja to Ogba in a commercial tricycle, popularly known as “Keke Napep”.
TheCable reported that soldiers were controlling traffic near Pleasant Event Centre, off Ajao Road, when one of them stopped a tricycle rider and ordered him to carry a soldier as punishment.
This move reportedly worsened traffic congestion in the area.
Fakoyejo’s tricycle became trapped in the resulting gridlock, which prompted the journalist to have told other passengers that the soldier’s action contributed to the standstill.
A soldier who overheard the comment allegedly ordered Fakoyejo and other passengers to disembark before dragging the journalist aside and confronting him.
Despite explaining himself, Fakoyejo was asked to report to other soldiers nearby. However, as he attempted to speak with another officer approaching the scene, the soldier allegedly slapped him.
TheCable further reported that a video recorded by an eyewitness showed the soldier pushing the journalist repeatedly and attempting to strike him with a stick. During the altercation, Fakoyejo’s phone reportedly fell and shattered.
The ICIR also sighted a video showing two soldiers harassing and dragging the journalist while attempting to hit him with a long stick. In the footage, bystanders are seen intervening and urging Fakoyejo to leave the scene to avoid further assault.
As he tried to exit the area, he was again confronted by other soldiers, who reportedly threatened him before members of the public stepped in to de-escalate the situation.
The assault came amid growing concern over soldiers’ conduct following the killing of Abdulsamad Jamiu, a 24-year-old member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), in Dei-Dei, Abuja.
Jamiu was killed in the early hours of April 25, 2026, at his family residence in Shagari Quarters.
The Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army had stated that its troops were responding to a distress call over an alleged armed robbery when they engaged fleeing suspects in a “brief but intense exchange”, during which the corps member was reportedly caught in crossfire.
However, the family rejected the Army’s account, describing it as false and misleading, and has demanded an independent investigation.
In a statement on April 27, the family alleged that soldiers scaled the fence of their residence around 2:00 a.m. and entered without warning. They claimed that Jamiu was inside his room when a soldier fired through the closed door, hitting him in the head and killing him instantly.
According to the family, the trajectory of the bullet contradicts claims of a gun battle, insisting that only a single shot was heard and that there was no evidence of any exchange of gunfire in the area.
They called for the identification, suspension, and prosecution of the officers involved, as well as a retraction of the Army’s initial statement and a public apology.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M