“Your blood is nothing. Is that clear?” said a female cadet to a young man who was bleeding after he was assaulted by young military trainees of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). The young man had complimented the female cadet on her beauty, and what he got in response to his compliment were incessant slaps across his face, knocks on his head and kicks until he bled.
The incident was captured on camera and the video went viral some time ago but only recently drew the attention of the Nigerian Army. Yesterday, in a series of tweets, the Nigerian Army said that the NDA was conducting investigations and preliminary findings confirmed the incident to have taken place in Lagos, a year ago while the cadets were on a break.
The attention of The Nigerian Defence Academy has been drawn to a trending video showing Cadets beating some persons. 1/
— Nigerian Army (@HQNigerianArmy) February 4, 2016
Please note that NDA is investigating the incident. Preliminary investigation has confirmed the incident to have occurred in 2014 #Lagos 2/
— Nigerian Army (@HQNigerianArmy) February 4, 2016
while the Cadets were on break. NDA as a responsible institution saddled with task of producing future military leaders 3/
— Nigerian Army (@HQNigerianArmy) February 4, 2016
will not in anyway tolerate such unruly and flagrant mistreatment of Nigerians. 4/
— Nigerian Army (@HQNigerianArmy) February 4, 2016
The NDA under current leadership has addressed most disciplinary loopholes. Further investigation is continuing.
Signed
Academy PRO5/5
— Nigerian Army (@HQNigerianArmy) February 4, 2016
“What is beautiful about me,” the cadet asked the young man in between slaps. “I will deaf you … deaf your mother, you bastard,” she said slapping him some more with other cadets joining in the torture. And when he started to bleed, she ordered him to take off his shirt and use it to clean the blood, “we’ve used our blood. Is that clear? During [our] course of training, I broke my shoulder. Is that clear? [So] Your blood is nothing…” she said, most likely referring to the harsh military training cadets undergo in the academy. She also did not fail to mention to the young man that they were training to become military officers because of civilians like him.
So far the video has served a platform for a debate on sexual harassment. While a good number of Nigerians detest the treatment given to the young man and called the behaviour of the cadets shameful, inhumane as well as “an act of brutality”, others are of the opinion that it served him right and that the young woman was only standing up for herself and possibly for other women who are constantly subjected to catcalls and sexual harassment. A young lady, Nkem, told Ventures Africa that she may do the same if she had the power to. “I don’t blame the girl. If I were in a position of power, I would have done the same to men who pass annoying comments to me in public.”
The video also does not speak well of the future of the Nigerian military, especially at a time when there are several allegations of human rights violations from within the country and international organizations.
