Aggrieved soldiers beat a policeman to death in an attack which happened along the Mile 2-Badagry expressway in Lagos State on Wednesday.
The deceased policeman was an Inspector attached to Ojo Division of the Lagos State Police Command.
The officer and his colleagues were attacked by soldiers while controlling traffic on the ever-busy expressway.
It was learnt that the soldiers who were coming back from a course got infuriated when their line was stopped to allow other road users easy passage.
An eye witness, Sule Abiodun, said that the soldiers jumped down from their vehicle, grabbed the policemen and hauled them into their vehicle before zooming off.
“We later heard that they took them to their barracks where the policemen were thoroughly beaten,” he said
Another witness alleged that the soldiers attempted to dump the body of the deceased in a nearby drainage, but for the timely intervention of the military authorities in charge of the barracks.
“The second policeman is still being hospitalized while the body of the deceased has been deposited at the morgue” the witness who identified himself as John Okereke, said.
However, both the Police Authorities and the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army have described the incident as quite unfortunate and avoidable.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, tweeted about the incident on his handle.
He said a military delegation led by Brigadier General KN Nawoko, ML Abubakar and IE Akpaumontia, paid a condolence visit to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Abiodun Alabi, on Friday morning over the unfortunate incident.
Also reacting to the incident, the Assistant Director, Public Relations of the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Olaniyi Osoba said the Authority in charge of the Division was already in touch with the hierarchy of the police in the state to resolve the matter.
“This incident is highly regrettable given the Division’s disposition and zero tolerance for any misconduct. Accordingly, the Division has instituted a Board of Inquiry to unravel the circumstance surrounding the unfortunate incident At the end of the investigation, anyone found culpable will be made to face the full wrath of the disciplinary provisions.. Consequently, the Division wishes to commiserate with the Ojo Police Division and members of the family of the victim” he said in a statement.
