Police, touts clash averted in Lagos
An eyewitness account told Oodua Trust that the trouble started at Bolade Bus Stop, Oshodi at about 9:00a.m when the driver of LAGBUS almost knocked down a mobile policeman who was riding on a motorcycle. The said driver of the bus, it was said, was caught at Bolade Bus Stop. With the assistance of other […]
An eyewitness account told Oodua Trust that the trouble started at Bolade Bus Stop, Oshodi at about 9:00a.m when the driver of LAGBUS almost knocked down a mobile policeman who was riding on a motorcycle.
The said driver of the bus, it was said, was caught at Bolade Bus Stop.
With the assistance of other armed mobile policemen at the bus stop, it was gathered that the driver was asked to alight, but was advised by passengers onboard to rebuff the order. Tension was said to have heightened following his refusal to disembark from his vehicle until one of the mobile policemen shot a canister of teargas into the vehicle.
Still defiant, it was said the mobile policeman fired another teargas, the result of which led a pregnant woman to slump after inhaling the smoke.
Five other commuters were said to have run out of the bus to prevent suffocation.
Following the incident, the entire vicinity was said to have charged, with touts emerging and forming a mob to wage a reprisal attack on the armed mobile policemen.
The arrival of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Akinpelu Division, Victor Osuji, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) saved the situation from escalating. He was said to have waded in and made peace before the tension was doused.
In another development, luck ran out of two members of an armed robbery gang during a gun duel with the police in Lagos last Tuesday. Also, an accomplice of the slain robber, Ezekiel Chukwu, was arrested.
It was learnt that the robbers, who were operating in a stolen Toyota Camry Saloon Car, marked XP 819 AAA (Lagos) slugged it out in a gun battle, close to Tantaliser Eatery, along 21 Road, Festac Town, with anti-robbery policemen from Festac Divisional Police Station, upon sighting them, following a tip-off.
At the end of cross-fire, a member of the gang was shot dead, while the second accomplice was arrested with bullet wounds.
Frank Mba, Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident and said a locally made pistol, a live cartridge and the stolen vehicle were recovered.
He added that the matter had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti Street, Yaba, Lagos, for further probe.