Tragedy struck at the Satellite Town area of Lagos State on Saturday night after four personnel of the Nigerian Navy (NN) allegedly stabbed an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abion Hezikel to death.
It was gathered that the personnel attached to the Central Pay Office, Apapa also injured three civilians who tried to broker peace between them and the policemen.
Trouble was said to have started around 8pm after a police team on traffic patrol around Oluti stopped four men on two motorcycles for flouting the state Traffic Laws.
Unknown to the policemen, the men were personnel of the navy on mufti who failed to identify themselves so they could be allowed to go.
A bus driver, who witnessed the incident, said the naval operatives stabbed the ASP on the chest after an argument between them.
“In the course of the argument, one of them slapped the police team.leader and he retaliated. That was how the fight started.
“The navy men who had jack knives on them brought it out and started beating the policemen. Motorists and other road users tried to mediate but the soldiers went wild and were attacking people.
“At least three other innocent people sustained injuries.
‘Many people were bleeding and so, we fled from the scene because they were ready to kill anyone on sight,” he said.
It was gathered that shop owners immediately started locking up as violence escalated for fear of falling victims.
The situation was said to have been brought under control when the police deployed reinforcement to the scene and two of the suspects were apprehended.
It was gathered that the ASP and three injured civilians were rushed to a nearby hopsital where the policeman was confirmed dead.
A Police officer attached to the division who hinted about the incident said: “We received a distress call that Navy and Policemen were fighting at the Oluti area of Satalite.
“We raced to the scene. On getting there, we saw that four Naval personnel attacked our men. They were on two motorcycles. The Naval personnel stabbed our men with jack knives.
“We were able to rush our men and three other passersby to Adeyemi private hospital, but ASP Abion Hezikel was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty.
“Anyway, the other officers and three passersby who were also stabbed were treated and discharged.
“Two of the naval personnel, Onyekachi Egwumain, 27, and Ebubechukwu Growth, 28, have been arrested. Two others are at large. We have notified the Police Command headquarters and are hoping that the military authorieis would be made to arrest and handover the other two culprits to the division for prosecution.”
Contacted, spokesman for the command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed that two of the suspects were already in the custody of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti for investigation, adding that the military authorieis have also been notified and requested to handover the remaining two suspects to the police.
He said the family of the deceased had been notified about the incident, adding that necessary actions would be taken in the matter.
(The Nation)
