No fewer than 15
persons on Friday evening reportedly sustained various degree of injuries
during a clash between men of the Nigerian Army and police officers from the
Oba Market Police Station in Benin, the Edo State capital.
A pregnant woman was
also said to be among the injured in the clash, which forced some residents and
shops owners to scamper for safety as the security operatives fired several
shots and tear gas during the conflict.
Many residents were said
to have been injured in the stampede that followed the incident.
The trouble reportedly
started when 10 policemen allegedly beat up two soldiers to stupor at Ibiwe
junction at the city centre.
Some eyewitnesses said
that the action of the policemen followed the alleged assault of a female
traffic warden for allegedly preventing the soldiers from driving through a
heavy traffic.
One of the soldiers was
said to have repeatedly slapped the woman until some policemen intervened,
resulting in a free-for-all.
A soldier was said to
have been detained as a result of the incident, a situation which reportedly
led some soldiers, in over 7 patrol vans, to invade the police station, forcing
the policemen in the station to lock themselves inside the station while business
owners locked their shops to prevent looting.
The soldiers were said
to have laid a two hour siege at the police station, which lasted till around
6:20pm, following the intervention of senior police officers in the state.
When contacted, the
spokesman for the Nigerian Army, 4 Brigade, Captain Jonah Unuakhalu, told Punch
that the command was not involved in the clash, adding that the issue had been
resolved with the divisional police officer of the station.
- Punch
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