Airforce, Police Officer Clash at Filling Station in Enugu

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Wednesday, December 20th, 2017

From Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – What could have resulted into a bloody clash between policemen and men of the Nigerian Air force was on Tuesday averted in Enugu, South East Nigeria.

African Examiner gathered that a police personnel said to be on mufti who was later identified as Sgt. Gabriel Chukwu had allegedly clashed with a team of Nigeria Air-Force operatives at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation [NNPC] Mega station, located at Naira Triangle, Enugu in the morning hours.

It was learnt that Sgt. Chukwu had gone to buy fuel at the NNPC mega station, and was about to be attended to when suddenly a team of Nigeria Air-Force men came towards his pump side and ordered that he should remove his vehicle while they get fuel first.

But the policeman refused, insisting that he must buy the product before the Air force guys, haven’t arrived the station before them, a development that led to serious argument which resulted to the airmen manhandling Chukwu, and creating scene at the station.

The state police public Relations officer, PPRO Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the incident, told newsmen that the disagreement “brought about the ensuing altercation which led to the policeman being assaulted heavily by the Air force team.

“Meanwhile, the situation was later brought under control; while the Nigeria Air-Force authority in the state through Wing Commander A.O. Adeyemi is taking further necessary action against his personnel who participated in the act.

He said the injured Sgt. Chukwu is responding to medical attention at the Police Medical Clinic at the No 3 Police Mobile Force Squadron, Enugu.

According to Amarizu, Wing commander, Adeyemi, condemned the action of his personnel, noting that contrary to public expectations, the incident would further improve the synergy between the police and the Nigeria Air-Force in Enugu State as there would not be any cause for alarm in their relationship in the state.

“It is a mere case of mistaken identity on the part of the policeman on mufti and the eventual disagreement and altercation, but it is being handled by both police and Air-Force authorities in Enugu” Amarizu stated.

“Assuming the Air-Force convoy coming into the filling station met him on his uniform as a policeman they would have acknowledge his presence as one of them and such situation of assault would not have arisen as we do not have any acrimony with any sister security agencies in the state and we have been working together.’’ he said.

Amaraizu, who is a Superintendent of Police, said that the injured policeman had been responding to treatment; adding; “he is in a stable condition after receiving medical attention in police medical facility’’.

He said that normalcy and sales of petroleum products had continued in the filling station after police and Nigeria Air-Force authorities waded into the misunderstanding.