By Kazeem Ugbodaga/ PM News, Lagos
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| Lance corporal in army uniform started the crisis |
There was pandemonium at Obanikoro area of Lagos State, South West Nigeria today when soldiers clashed with policemen who were trying to stop the soldiers from using the BRT lane.
Men of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental Offences (Enforcement Unit) had stormed the BRT lane on the order from the state government to enforce the ban on motorists using the BRT lane.
P.M.NEWS reporter who witnessed the scene observed that over 95 percent of BRT lane violators were soldiers who displayed brazen act of lawlessness and challenged the policemen who stopped them and wanted to tow their vehicles for violating the laws of the state.
Trouble started when a female soldier and a Lance Corporal in separate vehicles drove on the BRT lane and were stopped by the police. The soldiers knew the police were enforcing the ban on use of the BRT lanes when they intentionally took the lane.The police officers attempted to tow the female soldier’s vehicle but were resisted while the soldier pleaded with the cops.
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| The army lance corporal prevents traffic police from towing his car |
As the car was being towed out of the BRT lane, the other soldier, whose car’s registration number KE 507 EKY came out of his car and successfully concealed his identity by removing the name tag on his uniform.
He insulted the police officers and dared anyone to tow his vehicle. Because of his rudeness, the policemen who had earlier allowed almost 10 vehicles being driven by soldiers who violated the use of the BRT lane to go, decided to tow the Lance Corporal’s vehicle.
The Lance Corporal headbutted a police officer who was trying to drive his car away. He seriously manhandled the cop, while the police team leader tried to calm him down and restrained his men from retaliating.
The policemen still insisted on towing the vehicle but the Lance Corporal slapped and brutalised the police officers while the policemen kept their cool.
As they struggled with the Lance Corporal, some area boys who were in support of the soldier suddenly went wild, but the police succeeded in arresting some of them who were hauled into the Black Maria. In a sudden twist, the Lance Corporal suddenly feigned being unconscious and collapsed without being touched. He was taken to the road side.
This enraged other soldiers who arrived the scene and clashed with the cops.
A police officer shot tear gas into the air and there was pandemonium in the area as people ran for safety. The Obanikoro Bus stop was deserted.
Rumour immediately started spreading that the police had killed a soldier and that soldiers were on a revenge mission.
The soldiers at the scene of the incident vandalised one of the police towing vans and battered the driver of one of the police vehicles but the police rescued him from the scene and took him to a hospital.
Several policemen at the scene fled sensing danger while only a few remained.
A Divisional Police Officer, DPO, who came to maintain peace ran for his life when he saw the soldiers who had gone to reinforce. People ran while banks in the area and some companies shut their gates as they sensed danger.
As the situation was being brought under control, the Lance Corporal, who pretended to have fainted returned to pick his car.
As he was doing that, a large number of armed soldiers were spotted approaching the scene. The remaining policemen at the scene had to beat a retreat to avert more trouble while they abandoned one of their towing vans on the BRT lane.
As the soldiers approached, passers-by had to run to safety to avoid stray bullet hitting them, though, there was no exchange of gun shots.
Earlier, some soldiers had violated the ban on use of the BRT lane and were able to get out of trouble by force. One of such offenders was Tope Awopetu, a staff sergeant and a brigadier, whose name could not be ascertained by our correspondent.
A police car driven by a sergeant was towed by the taskforce. A customs vehicle was also impounded for using the BRT lane while a Superintendent of Police, who claimed to be a lawyer, had his car towed for using the BRT lane.
Also, vehicle belonging to the Lagos Central Business District, CBD, Enforcement unit with registration number LA 23 CBD was towed for using the BRT lane, among others.
The Lagos State Government had decided to enforce the ban on use of BRT lane because of the lawlessness of motorists who take the BRT lane whenever there is mild traffic gridlock on Ikorodu road.
It was gathered that Governor Babatunde Fashola had gotten wind of the clash between the soldiers and the policemen and had contacted the relevant military authorities to immediately call their men to order. This is to avert a bloody clash like the one in Badagry last month during which a soldier was killed and his colleagues retaliated by killing the Badagry DPO, DCO and other cops.
http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/soldiers-policemen-clash-again-lagos-pm-news-lagos
The very security operatvives that suppose to cooperate and fight the menace of kidnapping, armed robbery,political thugery and the latest boko haram threat are fighting themselves. Where are we heading to? there should be synergy among the security organisation or else, every body should watch his back and protect him self by being security conscience.
ReplyDeleteWhy do they have to tow away vehicles that use the BRT lane. The correct thing is to fine the people and if they can not pay then the vehicle may be town away. The army is also wrong to take the law into their hands. We are no longer in the military rule where every idiotic solder was a minigod.
ReplyDeleteWhy do they have to tow away vehicles that use the BRT lane. The correct thing is to fine the people and if they can not pay then the vehicle may be town away. The army is also wrong to take the law into their hands. We are no longer in the military rule where every idiotic solder was a minigod.
ReplyDeleteThis clearly shows the high level of indiscipline and lawlessness in the Nigeria security agencies. I wonder when would the security agencies be fully committed to protecting the lives and properties of ordinary Nigerians in combating the menaces of armed robbery, kidnapping, Boko Haram, etc, instead of fighting and killing themselves, bringing more shame and disgrace to the country. It is a real pity.
ReplyDeleteI have said this many times and I am still saying it for the umpteenth time that the entire Armed Forces of Nigeria and the Police must be disbanded and my non-sentimental reasons for saying this are as follows:
ReplyDelete1. These formations have outlived their usefulness and have become a liability than an asset;
2. They are sworn enemies of civilians and they brutalise civilians as if the latter were their constitutionally-approved targets to be decimated in the interest of the nation;
3. These formations have been infiltrated by very dangerous and irredeemable criminals;
4. Accordingly, the men and women in these formations are a bunch of rascals donning the nation's uniforms that provide a shield for them to carry out horrible deeds all the time.
The living examples of these Armed Forces and police uselessness are their inability to contain the Niger Delta crisis and the Boko Haram uprising. What more evidence would one provide?
Cases of brutality of soldierts against the rest of us is becoming unbearable. They wan to snatch our democracy. This country has not fought any war for long. We pay them for idleness and they are growing wild out laziness against onnocents.
ReplyDeleteNow tel me hw we wil ever hav meaningful developmentm those who should enforce the law break it with such impunity! Nauseating. Ordinarily seen a man in uniform should elicit safety bt not in Nigeria, the uniform is an instrument of terror. God help us.
ReplyDeletethere is no doubt that the military is at the verge of overtrowing jonanthan government. Is a matter of time.
ReplyDeleteMore to come...
ReplyDeleteWhen you have drunk guys as the majority members of the police and army and busy extorting the public then you expect clashes...
They cannot deal with crime and have aided rigging and other crimes in the Nigerian larger society.
They full their barracks with nothing to show and their ogas are exploiting them eating from money meant for them...SO IT IS FRUSTRATION AND DEPRESSION.
If this is true,then it's getting too much for this military pple.We are not in a banana republic,for crying out loud.The is d effect of high level illiteracy that has eaten deep into every stratum in our society.This should not swept aside as another case of unknown soldier.The offenders should be fished out and punished accordingly.Enough is enough.
ReplyDeleteThose army should be traced and tried for brazenly displaying act of disobeying constituted authority of the state.they have to be on the queue when entering their barracks gates why trespassing!
ReplyDeleteNigeria as a State has failed. It was reported yesterday that this country is 14th most failed State.
ReplyDeletePresident Jonathan, wake up.
Start declaring A-State-Emergency
d law to tow a vehicle using that road is too harsh & irrational. meanwhile d story is one sided in favour of d police against d army. i ll not b surprised if d writer is a policeman.
ReplyDeleteThank God they are both attacking themselves now,what a useless security outfits.let them kill all those Policemen who know nothing than collecting 20naira @ checkpoints
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of country is this? where people find it hard to obey the law? what are the leaders of this institutions doing why they cannot tell their officers that nobody is above the law, govt needs to kick out all this law breakers from our armed forces because they are suppose to be setting good exsample for the rest of the society not breaking the law and expects to get away with it, that should be a dismissal instantly from the force, where is nigeria going? you all wants a good country but you cannot play by the rules?
ReplyDelete