LAGOS— THE clash between Police and Air Force men in Ikeja raged for the second day running yesterday with five policemen feared dead. The five were among the 10 said to have been abducted on Tuesday at the outbreak of the clash. Twenty-five other policemen are now lying critically ill in hospitals following their brutalisation by the Air Force men.
Commercial activities at the scene of the clash, the popular PWD bus stop opposite the Sam Ethanam Air Force Base, remained paralysed yesterday as traders, commercial motorcyclists and even pedestrians kept off the area.
One of the victims, an orderly to Alhaji Aliyu Attah, a retired Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Monday Inaba, was given the beating of his life and his hair allegedly shaven with a jackknife, while he was also dispossessed of his serving pistol. He is one of those on the danger list at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. He was driving a Mercedes Benz car with registration number CG 219JJJ to convey a son of the retired IGP to the airport when he ran into the Air Force men who allegedly forced his car to a stop and then descended on him.
Emotions ran high at the State Police Headquarters, Ikeja yesterday when some of the battered policemen from the Air Force Base were shown to newsmen. Some Mobile Policemen asked for the permission of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Israel Ajao, to storm the Air Force Base to avenge the attack on their colleagues.
The commissioner turned down the suggestion and immediately summoned an emergency meeting of all police chiefs in the state on the next step to take. Meanwhile, Vanguard reliably learnt that a head count of policemen in all the formations in the state would soon begin to ascertain how many policemen had been killed in the clash.
Efforts to get the Air Force personnel speak on the clash failed as journalists who went there were not allowed in. However, the authorities of the base are holding a press conference on the matter today.
Meanwhile, armed policemen have condoned off part of the Agege Motor road with a view to rescuing any policeman that might be abducted by the Air Force men.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ighodalo, contacted yesterday said: “You can see we are taking the injured men to the hospital now. These are the ones released yet, others are still being held. But the CP, his DC and other officers are still dialoguing with the Air Force High Command with a view to effecting the release of others still being held.”
