Soldiers Attacks Police Men in Delta state

Pandemonium broke out, Monday, in
Koko, Warri North Local Government
Area, Delta State, as soldiers attacked and
injured police officers from Delta State
Police Command, who were on escort
duty with the state Commissioner for
Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Anthonia
Ashiedu.

The soldiers beat a police corporal, who
drove one of the police vehicles, to pulp
for allegedly blaring siren in the premises
of the Warri North Local Government
Council, which is close to a military outpost.
The corporal fainted because of the severe
beating and was rushed to hospital for
medical attention.

At press time, junior police police officers
were spoiling for a showdown with
soldiers in the state, saying it has become a
tradition for soldiers to attack police
officers in the state without justifiable
reason.

State Commissioner of Police, Mr.
Ikechukwu Aduba, confirmed to Vanguard
when contacted, saying the soldiers
accused the police officers of blaring siren
inside the secretariat of the council.
He said: "It is sheer brutality. I have
reported the matter to the Inspector
General of Police and contacted army
authorities in the state, but they said they
did not authorise the assault.
"They told us that there is no bad blood,
but there is bad blood. Why did they attack
fellow uniformed men in such a manner in
the course of their duty? We are making a
formal report on the incident.
"My stand is that the soldiers responsible
for this attack should be fished out and
made to face the music."
A source who spoke to Vanguard said:

"The police officers from the B' Operations
Department of the Delta State Police
Command were on escort duty with the
Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation, Dr.
Anthonia Ashiedu. It was an empowerment
programme for the less privileged by the
state government and because she was
carrying some money for the programme,
they requested police escort.

"As it is usual on such occasion, the siren
was on when they entered the premises of
Warri North Local Government Coucil and
about eight soldiers came from a nearby
outpost and asked the police driver,
Corporal Ekome, to frog-jump.

"The police officer that led the team came
to tell the soldiers that they should stop the
confrontation, but the soldiers attacked
him, seized his rifle and tore the button on
his uniform.

"With the atmosphere charged, more
soldiers joined their colleagues and insisted
that the police driver must frog jump,
which he resisted.

"The soldiers descended on him, ignoring
the appeal from other police officers to
stop creating a bad impression of Nigeria
security officials in the eyes of the public.
"Some of the policemen wanted to retaliate,
but were prevailed upon by the crowd,
which watched the show of shame with
dismay.

"The commissioner was shocked by the
incident as she stood watching without
knowing what to make out of the ugly
show of power."

A junior police officer said: "We are waiting
to know what the Commissioner of Police
and others will do on this matter. If they
sweep it under the carpet, I can assure you
that we will attack soldiers in isolated
places in the state because this is own is
getting too much.

"Come to think of it, the job of internal
security is that of the police. If not
overzealousness, what is wrong in the
police blaring siren in the premises of a
local government council? Is that a reason
for soldiers to attack policemen?"

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