ANOTHER round of fighting between men of the Nigerian Army and the Police was ignited on Tuesday with at least eight persons, including a Divisional Police Officer and Divisional Crime Officer killed.
The fight broke out when men suspected to be personnel of the Nigerian Army attached to the 242 Recce Battalion, Ibereko Barracks, Badagry, on the outskirts of Lagos attacked Badagry Police Station in ‘Area E’ and shot dead the DPO, Salisu Samson, a Chief Superintendent of Police and the DCO, simply identified as Samuel, a Superintendent of Police, both of the Badagry division.
Other victims of the fracas between the two government security outfits include seven persons whose identities could not be ascertained as at press time.
The Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim confirmed that only the two police officers were killed in the fracas.
Force Public Relations Officer, Olusola Amore, claimed that the two officers had gone to make peace at Recce Batallion when they were ambushed and killed.
Amore said The IG has appealed for calm, assuring that both the killers of the soldier and policemen would be fished out to face the wrath of the law.
Inter-service rivalry between men of the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Police has led to shooting and killing of men of the forces at different times in the past.
Precisely six years ago, some soldiers from Abatti Barracks, attacked some members of the Nigeria Police attached to the police barracks and set both the barracks and the personal effects of the policemen on fire; property valued at several millions of naira were destroyed.
This happened at the “Area C,” Ojuelegba in Surulere area of the Lagos State Police Command.
In October 2005, not very far from Ojuelegba incidence, Nigerians once again counted the cost of another bloody gun battle between police and the army, in which at least three civilians were killed.
The clash was triggered by an argument between a soldier and a policeman when the latter harassed a motorist for a bribe.
Armed with knives, guns and sticks, the soldiers burnt down a police station and beat up any policeman they found in their path.
More than 60 vehicles, including 20 small police trucks were burnt during that incident.
The latest killings were carried out as a retaliatory measure for the killing of a Staff sergeant unnamed by the men of the Nigerian Police Force around Badagry roundabout by men of the Rapid Response Squad at about 8.30 p.m. on Sunday.
Tuesday’s attacks in Lagos, which caused the disruption of the official visits of both the Minister of Police Affairs, Humphrey Abah and the Inspector-General of Police to Lagos for the commissioning of the Integrated Digital Security Surveillance Systems project, further heightened the inter-service rivalry between men of the police and the army.
However, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Kofo Abayomi, Lagos, Lieutenant Colonel Kayode Ogunsanya, denied the involvement of men of the Nigerian Army in the killing of policemen on Tuesday.
A suspected trigger-happy policeman allegedly shot an Army personnel on the neck in Badagry on Sunday.
An eyewitness said the RRS men at a checkpoint at Badagry roundabout, flagged down the soldier, who was riding from the 242 Battalion, Ibereko, Badagry, on his motorcycle.
The soldier, who was not in his Army uniform, stopped for the “stop-and-search” that was being carried out by the police and In the process, an argument ensued, which led to the exchange of blows and culminated in the shooting to death of the non-commissioned army officer.
Investigations reveals that Tuesday's incident was a reprisal attack by the soldiers who came from the barracks mustered around the Ibereko bus stop along Badagry-Seme roundabout before launching the attack on the police station.
Sources said the slain DPO and the DCO, as well as the seven others were killed during the “commando-style” attack on the police barracks.
The Sources said several police vehicles were set ablaze while charred bodies littered the police barracks in the area, property of family members of policemen resident in the barracks were not spared as they were wantonly destroyed.
The fight broke out when men suspected to be personnel of the Nigerian Army attached to the 242 Recce Battalion, Ibereko Barracks, Badagry, on the outskirts of Lagos attacked Badagry Police Station in ‘Area E’ and shot dead the DPO, Salisu Samson, a Chief Superintendent of Police and the DCO, simply identified as Samuel, a Superintendent of Police, both of the Badagry division.
Other victims of the fracas between the two government security outfits include seven persons whose identities could not be ascertained as at press time.
The Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim confirmed that only the two police officers were killed in the fracas.
Force Public Relations Officer, Olusola Amore, claimed that the two officers had gone to make peace at Recce Batallion when they were ambushed and killed.
Amore said The IG has appealed for calm, assuring that both the killers of the soldier and policemen would be fished out to face the wrath of the law.
Inter-service rivalry between men of the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Police has led to shooting and killing of men of the forces at different times in the past.
Precisely six years ago, some soldiers from Abatti Barracks, attacked some members of the Nigeria Police attached to the police barracks and set both the barracks and the personal effects of the policemen on fire; property valued at several millions of naira were destroyed.
This happened at the “Area C,” Ojuelegba in Surulere area of the Lagos State Police Command.
In October 2005, not very far from Ojuelegba incidence, Nigerians once again counted the cost of another bloody gun battle between police and the army, in which at least three civilians were killed.
The clash was triggered by an argument between a soldier and a policeman when the latter harassed a motorist for a bribe.
Armed with knives, guns and sticks, the soldiers burnt down a police station and beat up any policeman they found in their path.
More than 60 vehicles, including 20 small police trucks were burnt during that incident.
The latest killings were carried out as a retaliatory measure for the killing of a Staff sergeant unnamed by the men of the Nigerian Police Force around Badagry roundabout by men of the Rapid Response Squad at about 8.30 p.m. on Sunday.
Tuesday’s attacks in Lagos, which caused the disruption of the official visits of both the Minister of Police Affairs, Humphrey Abah and the Inspector-General of Police to Lagos for the commissioning of the Integrated Digital Security Surveillance Systems project, further heightened the inter-service rivalry between men of the police and the army.
However, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Kofo Abayomi, Lagos, Lieutenant Colonel Kayode Ogunsanya, denied the involvement of men of the Nigerian Army in the killing of policemen on Tuesday.
A suspected trigger-happy policeman allegedly shot an Army personnel on the neck in Badagry on Sunday.
An eyewitness said the RRS men at a checkpoint at Badagry roundabout, flagged down the soldier, who was riding from the 242 Battalion, Ibereko, Badagry, on his motorcycle.
The soldier, who was not in his Army uniform, stopped for the “stop-and-search” that was being carried out by the police and In the process, an argument ensued, which led to the exchange of blows and culminated in the shooting to death of the non-commissioned army officer.
Investigations reveals that Tuesday's incident was a reprisal attack by the soldiers who came from the barracks mustered around the Ibereko bus stop along Badagry-Seme roundabout before launching the attack on the police station.
Sources said the slain DPO and the DCO, as well as the seven others were killed during the “commando-style” attack on the police barracks.
The Sources said several police vehicles were set ablaze while charred bodies littered the police barracks in the area, property of family members of policemen resident in the barracks were not spared as they were wantonly destroyed.
Glory be on to God the army were able to killed back , now the score is 9 to 1, if army stop the killing the rebel civilians right in Lagos will continue to kill police. they enemy so they must be killed . most especially the one btw age 25 to 45 must be wiped off.
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