LAGOS—THERE was pandemonium yesterday at PWD Bus Stop along Oshodi\Abeokuta expressway when some Air force officers and their police counterparts engaged in a shoot out that lasted for several minutes. An Air force officer was reportedly shot in the leg in the process while both sides were injured during the scuffle.
There were however two accounts of how it all happened. A version of the account said some policemen from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti stormed a hideout at PWD, along Oshodi \Abeokuta expressway between 11am and 12noon to carry out an arrest on an armed robbery gang believed to be behind the robbery attack on a driver of the Lagos State Government House who was shot last week Sunday.
On sighting the policemen, some of the alleged robbers took to their heels. But about three of them were said to have been arrested. One of them said to be the ring leader of the operation was handcuffed by the police detectives.
The situation however had a dramatic twist when some Air Force officers whose base was very close to the scene of arrest reportedly approached the policemen and insisted that the arrested persons be released. The police men who saw it as an affront, insisted that the arrested persons followed them to the station. There was reportedly a heated argument which later degenerated into a free-for-all fight. An unidentified Air force man was said to have been shot in the leg in the process while both parties sustained injuries.
Another account got from the scene said some policemen stormed a "marijuana joint" in the area and arrested some persons. One of the arrested persons was said to have claimed he was an Air force officer while efforts by him to explain further fell on deaf ears as he was whisked into the police van.
Some of his colleagues who were informed, were said to have approached the policemen, explaining that he was an Air force officer, while the policemen insisted that all clarifications be made at the station. The police action it was learnt infuriated the Air force officers who reportedly held on to their arrested colleague, preventing the police from whisking him into their vehicle. This led to a heated argument which later ensued into a fight. There was reportedly a shoot-out which lasted for several minutes.
The arrested suspects including the one in handcuff, were said to have escaped in the process. Motorists plying the highway started making U-turns while passers-by and road side traders sustained injuries while running in order to avoid being hit by stray bullets.
Moments after the police detectives managed to leave the scene, the Air force officers reportedly moved to the road to vent their anger on any police officer that crossed their way. They further stopped commercial buses plying the road in search of any unfortunate policeman. Two unsuspecting policemen said to be in two different commercial buses were arrested and taken to the Air Force base.
