Army, Police Clash – Tension as Witness Dies After Interview

Lukkey Abawuru

27 May 2011

Tension brewed in Badagry yesterday, as the Operational Police Officer, in charge of Badagry Police station, Mr Afolabi Taofik who was the only survivor in the last Tuesday’s clash between the Army and the Police in which the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO) Salihu Samuel and Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) were murdered, is dead.

He died at his hospital bed in Lagos. He was in the same car with the slain colleagues when they were shot and later hacked to death.

The DPO and DCO were killed by suspected soldiers who were allegedly avenging the death of their colleague, earlier shot dead by policemen at check point.

His death has again sparked off tension in Badagry as Mobile Police Officers (PMF) and junior policemen are threatening for a showdown to avenge the death of their bosses.

As at press time, Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr. Yakubu Alkali has summoned all Area Commanders, DPOs and other senior officers in the state for an emergency meeting.

The meeting became necessary in view of several speculations surrounding the death of the Assistant Superintendent of Police ASP, early yesterday. He died shortly after he granted revealing interview to journalists on how soldiers attacked them.

While some argue that the deceased may have been poisoned to prevent him from exposing those behind the dastardly murder of the DPO, who is the only surviving son of his aged parents, others said officer died as a result of injuries he sustained during the attack. In fact, his stomach was riddled with bullets that pierced from the back to his front.

However, a worker in the hospital who spoke on the conditions of anonymity said the death of the man was mysterious as the man showed signs of improvement after some medications were administered on him.

The deceased in an interview published in one of the national dailies said soldiers shot them near the Ibereko, Badagry barrack.

He said after shooting the DCO who drove the car which made the car to swerve o the other side of the road, the soldiers stabbed the DPO to death. He said he escaped into the bush with gun shots but was later rushed to the General hospital Lagos for urgent medical attention. He indicted some senior officers of the barrack and accused them of complicity.

Our correspondent who visited Badagry at noon yesterday repots that the road was still deserted by police and other security agencies for fear of reprisal attack. Social and economic activities in the area are at low ebb.

Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) have constituted a probe into the matter. Both security Chiefs have vowed to get to the root of the matter.

The setting up of the probe panel came as Army authorities denied any role in the gruesome murder of the senior police Officers. Army alleged that the officers may have been killed by urchins who purportedly protested in the area.

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