Calm has returned to Kagini community, off Abuja-Zuba expressway after a soldier, Emmanuel Adam and two other residents reportedly sustained injuries after engaging in a fight at their female friend’s birthday party.
The incident, Abuja Metro learnt, took place around 11pm on Thursday at a hotel in the community.
The manager of the facility, Richard Omaka, told Abuja Metro during a visit there on Saturday, that the woman, who organised the event, had invited people from within and outside the town to grace the event.
“The guests were eating, drinking, and having fun, until around 11:48pm, when I heard a kind of unpleasant conversation. So, I moved toward the scene and tried to find out the reason.
‘’I discovered that it was a confrontation between a resident, named Yusuf and a soldier, named Emmanuel. So, I tried to settle the matter by taking one of them to the VIP section, and continued with my other schedules that night,’’ the manager explained.
Another witness, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the soldier later went to the VIP section where he confronted the resident, hitting him in the process. The man reportedly sustained injury around his mouth.
“He wanted to retaliate but he was calmed by others and taken out of the hotel premises, before the facility was locked from within.
“However, somebody from inside opened the gate as if he was leaving the venue, and before the gate could be locked, Yusuf, the injured resident forced his way in and hit the soldier in the face. The soldier passed out and Yusuf fled the scene immediately.
He was trailed and brought back to the venue by some people who also beat him in the process,’’ the witness narrated.
The hotel manager further said he locked Yusuf in a room in the hotel in order to avoid mob action on him.
He said a screen door attached to the reception of the facility was destroyed by some people who tried to access the locked resident.
“The police arrived at the venue some minutes after 1am, and took the two to their station, and later to the clinic,” the hotel manager said.
The third injured resident was identified as Bola Alunsko, who was said to be the person who opened the hotel gate after it was locked to deny Yusuf access.
He was reportedly held by the soldier, who hit him severally before being rescued. Our reporter met the soldier at the Kubwa General Hospital on Friday, where he was later admitted.
The reporter also visited the community on Saturday and found Yusuf recuperating in a house in the community.
When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of ‘A’ Division, Dei-Dei, CSP MuktarGoni Adam, confirmed the incident.