A disagreement occurred on August 4, 2022,between some soldiers and police officers near Ojo in Lagos State, leading to the death of one Monday Orukpe, an Inspector.
The Lagos State Police Command has berated the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army for claiming a soldier was shot during a clash between some cops and army officers.
A disagreement occurred on August 4, 2022,between some soldiers and police officers near Ojo in Lagos State, leading to the death of one Monday Orukpe, an Inspector.
The soldiers were reportedly driving against traffic when the policemen stopped them.
The immediate past General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Umar Musa, on Tuesday, however, said preliminary investigations revealed that the police officer shot at a soldier during the altercation which clipped him in the ear and narrowly missed his vital parts.
“The other soldiers reacted to the shot fired by the police officer and this led to their beating the policeman to death.
“We have paid a condolence visit to the Commissioner of Police to tell him that we will take necessary measures to prevent future occurrences of such nature.
“The injured soldier is in the hospital receiving treatment and investigation is ongoing to ascertain the next line of action to be taken,” he had said.
Reacting, Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin in a statement accused the army of attempting to twist what happened.
He accused the soldiers of murdering Inspector Orukpe and abducting others.
Hundeyin also asked the army authorities to return two AK-47 rifles and three magazines taken away by the soldiers.
The statement read, “The attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to a report credited to Major General Umar Musa, outgoing GOC 81 Division, claiming that a ‘police officer shot at the soldier during the altercation which clipped him in the ear but narrowly missed his vital parts.’ In as much as the Lagos State Police Command is in a grieving mood and has decided to toe the line of civility, it is pertinent to stand against misinformation.
“The fact remains that on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, at the Trade Fair area of Lagos State, about thirty Privates of the Nigerian Army attacked five policemen for stopping vehicles along their lane to pave way for a heavy-duty truck joining the expressway.
“After the soldiers had brutalized the ASP leading the team, taken out his magazine, and abducted two Inspectors with their rifles, the next Inspector they attempted to attack fired a single shot into the air – an act that made the soldiers retreat.
“The single shot was into the air. At no point was anyone hit. The Lagos State Police Command challenges the Army authorities to present the soldier allegedly shot. While we mourn our fallen hero, and pray for the total recovery of the second abducted Inspector, we urge Nigerians to disregard the claim that a soldier was shot as there is absolutely no truth to it.
“Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command eagerly awaits the report of the panel of inquiry set up by the Nigerian Army to investigate the immediate and remote cause of the incident.
“The Command equally looks forward to the fishing out of the soldiers behind the torture and murder of Inspector Monday Orukpe; and the return of two AK-47 rifles and three magazines carted away by the soldiers, in line with the pledge made by the Nigerian Army as conveyed by Brigadier-General KN Nwoko during a condolence visit to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Abiodun Ablabi, fdc.”