A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Ifeyinwa Ezeiruaku has revealed that she and the female soldier who appeared last week in a viral video clashed over ‘small chops’.
Lieutenant Chika Anele had Ezeiruaku kneel in the video and was seen pouring liquid substance on her.
Ezeiruaku, who was serving at 13 Brigade Command in Calabar, Cross River State, told BBC Pidgin that it all began at an army event where she was selected as an usher.
She said Anele had warned her before the ‘small chops’ issue not to touch army officers when they are in uniform.
She continued, “On July 28, a message was sent via WhatsApp that Lieutenant Chika invited corps members to a meeting. I didn’t see the message initially but I went to the meeting and when I got there, she brought me out and said it was because of me she called the meeting and asked me to go and wear my NYSC uniform.
“When I got to my room, I saw that I was already menstruating and I needed to clean up so I could dress properly. As I was having my bath, she sent someone to come and check what I was doing, the person told her I was bathing.
“She called all the corps members and asked some to fetch water in a bucket and she took me to the backyard, back of the corps members’ lodge. She said I should do press up, frog jump and all.
“As I was doing the frog-jump, she asked me to kneel, then asked some corps members to bring stones and asked me to carry them on my head. She said it was when she saw tears dropping from my eyes that she would release me.”
The Nigerian Army had condemned the soldier’s act, saying she would undergo trial.
Ezeiruaku said she moved to Lagos out of safety as instructed by NYSC officials.
