Residents of Oremeji in the Shasha area of Alimosho, Lagos, have been gripped by fear after a Nigerian Air Force officer was stabbed during a confrontation with local youths on Sunday, 9 November.
According to PUNCH, the altercation began at a neighbourhood football pitch, where the officer, who was not in uniform, clashed with a group of boys after their ball struck him.
A resident identified as Baba said the situation quickly escalated.
"Some boys were playing football when the ball hit the man. Nobody knew he was an officer. He tried to seize the ball and beat the boy who kicked it.
"People begged him, but he punched the boy. When a crowd gathered, he brought out a knife, stabbed the ball and threatened anyone who came close."
Baba added that several boys were injured as they attempted to restrain the man.
"A fight broke out, and one of the boys managed to collect the knife and stabbed him. They rushed him to the hospital, and we later heard he didn’t survive," Baba said.
Residents said the incident triggered a swift response from Air Force personnel, who stormed the area in search of the youths involved.
Sola, another resident, claimed officers from the Shasha base "beat up some people while searching for the boy and his family," adding that the community had been on edge since.
Business owners in the area have reportedly begun closing early out of fear of further raids.
Eniola, who lives nearby, said some residents had been assaulted and picked up "randomly" in the days that followed.
"The people who committed the act had fled, and innocent people are the ones getting punished," she said.
Another resident, Esther Komolafe, said military personnel fired tear gas during a reprisal the following day.
"We were driving along the route when we saw people running. The officers had fired tear gas. The area is still tense, and we avoid the route in the evening," she said.
However, the Lagos Police Command has denied claims that the officer died when contacted by the platform.
"There was a fight between some individuals, and afterwards they realised the injured person was an Air Force officer.
"He was only injured; nobody died. The matter was not reported at the station, but the DPO later identified the injured officer and confirmed he had received treatment," police spokesperson Abimbola Adebisi said.
Adebisi also dismissed allegations of harassment by Air Force personnel.
"The claim that officers have been disturbing people is not true. Last Wednesday, when some of the officer’s colleagues attempted to retaliate, the DPO intervened with community leaders. The area has been peaceful since then," he said.
READ ALSO: FCT Police Dismiss Reports of Assassination Attempt on Navy Officer
Comments
Post a Comment