Soldiers, Policemen Engage In Gun Battle Over Camouflage Uniform

By Ignatius Okpara, Aba – The commercial city of Aba, Abia State was on friday thrown into confusion when soldiers and a team of mobile policeman engaged themselves in gun battle over claims of assault on a policeman.

African Examiner learnt that trouble started when soldiers of the Forward Operation Base of the 144 Battalion, stationed at Ngwa High School, Aba, challenged a MOPOL officer, who was riding on a motorcycle, and putting on a camouflage meant for the army.

An eyewitness said, the clash however, began when a policeman sprayed teargas on a soldier who attempted to pull off the camouflage dress he was putting on.

Our Correspondent gathered that the policeman, attached to the MOPOL 55, Aba, returned to his base and mobilised his colleagues who came over and engaged the soldiers in a gun duel at their station in Ngwa High School.

The eyewitness who craved anonymity said that a policeman sustained serious injury from the gun duel.

However, a military source claimed that the policeman did not identify himself properly when he was confronted by the soldiers.

The Abia State Police public Relations officer PPRO, Onyeke Ezekiel, who confirmed the clash, said the injured policeman has been taken to an undisclosed hospital where he is receiving medical attention.

He added that investigation into the incident was on-going by senior officers of both security organizations.