- Police killed our men, aided vandals’ escape – NSCDC.
- Civil defence corps attacked our men –Police.
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The late officers: Gabriel Adaji and Innocent Akegbe |
NSCDC the talk say...
An incident which occurred yesterday around 3am left two men dead and five others wounded (gunshot wounds), all men of the NSCDC.
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Lagos State Command, says
policemen committed this hideous act.
The Deputy National PRO for the corps, Mr. Sola
Odumosu, said,
“This incident occurred while the
officers and men of the corps were returning from a successful
anti-vandal operation where vandals were arrested along with their
exhibits and being transported back to the state headquarters of the
corps.
“According to an eye witness’ account,
the vandals made calls to their police collaborators for support as they
could not overwhelm the anti-vandals team of the corps.
“Immediately the police got wind of
this, they laid siege to the corps and opened fire on the NSCDC patrol
vehicles killing two, while others fled with gunshot wounds. The vandals
were later released by the police.
“The men of the corps had refused to
fire a single shot because they saw that the shooters were policemen.
They only express shock at a sister agency who ordinarily should assist
in fighting crime are the ones aiding the criminals while the vandals
continue to flourish.”
Odumosu maintained that the killing was
deliberate as the NSCDC men were in uniform while the vehicle they used
during the operation was inscribed.
Another official said, “After the raid, the officials
were driving along the expressway when they were accosted by a team of
policemen. An argument ensued as one of the policemen said they had no
right to operate in the area.
“The NSCDC men explained that it was
their duty to protect all government facilities including oil pipelines.
After some argument, our men left but unknown to them, a team of
policemen had laid ambush ahead.
“The policemen opened fire on our men before fleeing and one of the policemen while trying to flee left his service pistol and
identity card at the crime scene.”
The ID card made available to our correspondent belonged to one Inspector Sunday Gabriel with Force Number, 120622.
And on the Police Side...
The police, however, denied the
allegations, adding that they were responding to a distress call which
came from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
The authorities insisted they knew nothing about the murder of the NSCDC men.
The spokesperson for the state police
command, Ngozi Braide, said in a statement that while responding to a
distress call from Deputy Manager, Security, Pipelines and Products
Marketing Company, Mosimi that they were experiencing drop in pressure
on the pipeline, the NSCDC officials attacked the police.
Braide said, “The Unit Commander in
charge of Konu immediately pulled out his men under Inspector Sunday
Gabriel to proceed to the scene.
“They (policemen) encountered NSCDC men
on the way and an argument ensued after which the NSCDC officials
attempted to arrest the policemen.
“The NSCDC men handcuffed the police team leader, Gabriel, and beat him up before fleeing with his gun and ID card.”
She said the command was therefore surprised to hear that two officials were killed.
She further alleged that hours after the
incident, three policemen, Sgt Charles Igiebor, Cpl Ekun Julius and Cpl
Okoro Charles, who went for National ID Card registration exercise on
the premises of the NSCDC were attacked by NSCDC officials.
Source: Punch Newspaper.
HBC: *SMH* One side is definitely lying. Officers wasting fellow officer. Only God knows what really happened. May the souls of the late officers rest in peace. Please tell us what feel about this. Thank you.