The Nigerian army has commissioned a probe into the Wednesday clash between some of its personnel and a contingent of policemen on Lagos Island.
Recall that Microsecondnews reported that a soldier engaged in a brawl with a policeman on Carter Bridge, Apongbon, in the Lagos Island Local Government Area of Lagos State on Wednesday.
More information that came out indicated that the fracas originated when a driver conveying the soldier to a destination in the state drove against the traffic and was stopped by policemen attached to the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, aka Task Force, for violating the traffic law of the state.
The soldier reportedly stepped out of the vehicle and challenged the officials for stopping the vehicle.
In the process, the soldier and the policemen engaged in a shouting match which degenerated into a scuffle between the soldier and a yet-to-be-identified cop.
In a video trending online, the soldier was seen attempting to disarm the policeman, but the cop resisted the move and engaged the soldier in fisticuffs.
Other policemen and soldiers seen in the video attempted to separate the duo.
Later, a tear gas canister was fired to stop the brawl.
A source said, “The soldier was being conveyed by a driver; they passed one way and were stopped and the soldier got annoyed. Is he above the law? The soldier felt insulted because a policeman stopped his vehicle. In Nigeria, I don’t know why the army feels that they are above the law.
“He was attempting to snatch the gun while the gun was pointed at his stomach. He told the driver to pass one way and when he was stopped, he became annoyed and started saying didn’t they see him in the vehicle. Other military men who were passing saw the situation and decided to mediate.”
The Director, Press and Public Affairs, Task Force, Raheem Gbadeyanka, who confirmed the incident, said the vehicle had been impounded.
He said, “The soldier encouraged the driver to drive against traffic and when we attempted to impound the vehicle, the soldier started attacking our policemen. We have impounded the vehicle. The soldier attacked our policemen and wanted to disarm an Inspector, so we mobilised other policemen to the scene.”
The spokesperson for the 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Olaniyi Osoba, said an investigation into the case had commenced.
