Soldier killed in fracas with policeman; Army spokesman responds

Pandemonium broke out on Wednesday in the Ogijo area of Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State after a Police officer allegedly killed a soldier during an altercation in the community.

The Police officer, who was popularly called Mopol by residents, was said to have shot the soldier, who was attached to 81 Division of Nigerian Army, after the disagreement degenerated with both law enforcement officers threatening to kill each other.

While the altercation intensified, the policeman was said to have reached out for his pistol and shot the soldier.

Sources said that after the soldier was pronounced dead at about 6 pm, his colleagues decided to retaliate, launching an attack on Ogijo Police station where the mobile police officer was deployed by the state Police Command.

After the attack, the soldiers were said to have set the Police station, patrol vehicles, and an armored tank within the axis ablaze.

A video shared online also asserts that Ogijo police station was allegedly razed by soldiers.

According to the video voice-over: “They burnt (Ogijo) station live. Ogijo Ikorodu. They went to kill a soldier in front of the school at Odogunyan”.

The spokesman of Ogun State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi said the incident happened in the Odongunyan area of Ikorodu in Lagos State.

He added that when the soldiers came for a reprisal attack, they attacked Ogijo Police station, and burnt down the station patrol vehicle and armored personnel carrier.

Oyeyemi said: “Though the cause of disagreement between the police officer and the soldier is still sketchy as I speak with you now, the incident happened in the Odongunyan area of Ikorodu, in Lagos State and when the soldiers came for reprisal attack, they came to Ogun Police station, burnt station, armored personnel carrier, and patrol vehicle”.

“The commandant of the barracks at Ikorodu had been contacted and he is looking into the matter”.

The Nigerian Army however said on Thursday that it had handed over the policeman to the Lagos State Police Command for further investigation and subsequent prosecution.

In a statement by the Deputy Director of Public Relations of 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Lt.-Col. Olabisi Ayeni said the suspect was arrested and kept in military custody for his safety and subsequently handed over to the Nigeria Police for prosecution.

Ayeni, however, denied the burning of the station by soldiers, saying it was angry mob who witnessed the unfortunate incident that took advantage of the situation to attack the police station in the community.

“Troops have been deployed around the vicinity of all police stations in the Ikorodu area to prevent a breakdown of law and order”, he said.

Ayeni said that the victim (soldier) allegedly confronted the suspect (policeman), who was not properly dressed and was standing close to a patrol vehicle of Operation MESA to confirm his identity.

“This led to an argument and, subsequently, the unfortunate incident. The soldier was immediately rushed to the Lagos State Polytechnic Hospital, Odogunyan, for medical attention, but he was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

“The remains of the soldier have been moved to 174 Battalion Medical Centre in Ikorodu. The situation is under control as normalcy has returned to the community”, he explained.