Woman Physically Assaulted by Air Force Officer in Benin City.

An Air Force official had a physical alteration
with a woman identified as Mrs Joy
Agboghinde 51, in front of Benin City Electricity
headquarters for allegedly obstructing traffic.

According to eyewitness who spoke with
Tribune said  the fight between the army
officer, a major, and Mrs Agboghide, was
caused by traffic situation in front of the BEDC
office due to traffic congestion and
indiscriminate parking of vehicles in the area.

It was learnt that the woman, who was driving
from the Forestry Road axis, was asked to
allow vehicles coming from the off Akpakpava
axis pass and after allowing about five vehicles
pass she insisted on passing thereby
obstructing traffic.

Eyewitnesses also said that trouble started
when the major, who had just left the BEDC
office, accosted Mrs Agboghide and asked her
to reverse her vehicle so as to allow vehicles
coming in the opposite direction pass.

It was learnt that the woman declined, leading
into fight between the trio of the woman, the
major and his wife.

In the melee that followed, it was learnt that
teargas cannister was used on the woman,
while she retaliated by damaging the army
officer’s car.

The army officer was said to have retaliated
by inviting two army officers within the vicinity,
who joined him to beat up Mrs Agboghide to a
pulp and damaged her car including the wind
screen and the rear screen that were shattered.

Security was beefed up in the area as members
of the civil society group and family members
besieged the BEDC office, alleging complicity of
BEDC in the beating up of the woman.

It was learnt that Mrs Agboghide was later
taken to hospital after she first reported at a
police station.

However according to the woman who
recounted the story to Punch she said,
“I went to Lagos Street to get some food
items. So, I passed through Forestry (Lane) to
the road beside former NEPA. As I was going,
the driver of the vehicle in front of me and
some traders around told me to stop. I stopped
and about four vehicles passed. Later, the
traders told me to go. As I moved on, a soldier
told me to reverse and I explained that I had
waited for some vehicles to pass. But he said,
‘Do you know who you are talking to? Reverse!’
Before I knew it, he used his gun to hit my
windscreen. I came out and asked him what I
had done and he said I should wait. He went
into the BEDC premises and came out with
some soldiers who descended on me.”