Panel Submits Report on Police, Air Force Clash
By Ndubuisi Francis
Report of the panel of inquiry into the recent two-day bloody clash between Nigeria Air Force (NAF) and police personnel in Lagos was yesterday submitted with assurances that the Federal Government would religiously implement the recommendations in order to put a permanent end to such developments.
Chairman of the panel, Alhaji Dauda Danladi who presented the report to the Minister of State, Defence, Roland Oritsejafor at the conference room of the Presidential Lounge located at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos said in pursuing its assignment, the panel interviewed over 50 witnesses as well as visited homes of the deceased.
He disclosed that it was evidently manifest in the course of the assignment that there existed a strong espirit de corps among the rank and file of the Air Force and Police. He added that it was also established that "this kind of ugly trend will not occur again".
Danladi noted that if the recommendations of his panel are implemented, the nation would have found a permanent solution to the intermittent clashes among military personnel and other law enforcement officers.
Receiving the report, the minister said he was delighted that the panel concluded its assignment on time as it was set up to ascertain the remote and immediate cause of the "recent avoidable fracas between the police and Air Force personel".
"I must commend the efforts of the board members for undertaking this national assignment within the limited time granted. This has demonstrated the desire of the government to quickly find lasting solution to this unwarranted ugly trend.
"Our uniformed men must maintain espirit de corps which had existed hitherto and must continue to give Nigerians the assurance and the capacity to lay down their lives and properties", he said.
He warned that deaths resulting from accidental discharges or stray bullets have continued to embarrass the government and must not be allowed to occur again.
Oritsejafor warned that it was unacceptable to turn the instrument and equipment provided with tax payers' money against the same people or against fellow uniformed compatriots.
He stated that government was determined to change the negative attitudes in the police and miltary through training and retraining of the policemen. He warned that the government was committed to the on-going reforms in the military and the police and it would not tolerate indiscipline.
The minister who called for a minute's silence for the Air Force officer killed during the face-off between the Air Force and Police, said the corpse was at that moment being flown to Makurdi, Benue State for burial.
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