Soldiers vandalise N50million Akure wood factory

AKURE — No fewer than 30 Soldiers yesterday in Akure, vandalised a wood factory located in front of the 323 Artillery Battalion, Owena Barracks, claiming ownership of the land the factory was built on.

This was confirmed by the Commanding Officer of the 323 Army Artillery, Col. S. Nwafor, who said the visit by the soldiers to the factory was because the owner of the factory stopped paying rent for the land.

He said: “Adebiyi had been paying rent for the land for sometimes before he came with a letter from his lawyer, saying that he would not pay again as the land does not belong to the Army.”

The Commanding Officer said he spoke with the lawyer and showed him documents from the Army which certified that the land belongs to the Nigerian Army.

According to him, instead of continuing with the arrangement, Adebiyi wrote to the Commissioner of Police in the state complaining that the Army was trespassing on his factory and was extorting money from him.

Property worth over N50million were allegedly destroyed by the soldiers during yesterday’s operation at the factory owned by one Chief Akintunde Adebiyi.

Narrating his ordeal, Chief Adebiyi said the Soldiers on arrival at his factory pulled down the fence, vandalised the factory and equipment after chasing away his workers.

Adebiyi, alleged his refusal to give money to officers from the barrack money as demanded prompted the attack.

He claimed the senior officers of the barrack had been extorting money from him on the pretence that they were providing security for the area.

Adebiyi claimed officers from the barracks had been exhorting between N20, 000 and N30, 000 from him since he started business in the area in 2006.

He however said receipt was always issued to him as rent payment.

According to him, the Soldiers had never gone to residential buildings in the area to demand for such money, saying he stopped paying the fee following advice from his lawyer.

He claimed that during the attack, the Soldiers carted away his laptop, unspecified amount of money and also destroyed equipment worth N30 million.

-BY DAYO JOHNSON 

Source: Vanguard