capital as some overzealous police officers engaged in
a free for all fight with their Army Counterparts.
The report as reported by heraldng.com stated that the
residents of the area scampered for safety and
everywhere was deserted.
Trouble started when a man drove in and parked his
14-seat¬er bus near the police station lo¬cated
opposite the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press
Centre, Aba Road.
Report says the bus driver, who is an Army Captain
but in mufti, was ordered by the Divisional Po¬lice
Officer (DPO) in charge of the station to re-park his
vehicle.
According to an eye witness ac¬count, the DPO, who
was driving to the station in his Highlander SUV when
he spotted the bus, was im¬patient with the owner of
the bus as he ordered him to explain why he should
block his way.
Attempts by the Army Captain to calm the DPO fell on
deaf ears as he (DPO) immediately ordered for his
arrest for allegedly blocking his way.
The over-zealous DPO, accord¬ing to investigations,
just assumed duties at the station a few days back.
According to our source, the Army officer pleaded with
the DPO to allow him remove his vehicle as he had
ordered but the DPO rath¬er insisted that he must be
arrest¬ed first.
"It was at that point when two policemen were
struggling to arrest him that he told them that he is a
Captain in the Army", the source said.
Continuing, the source said the DPO was more
infuriated when he heard that the 'man' said he was a
soldier, and insisted he must be ar¬rested.
The DPO was quoted as saying: "He must obey my
arrest order; you people should tell him to obey my
arrest order; you must obey my ar¬rest. You said you
are a captain; you must tell me how many wars you
have fought.
"I have fought in three Boko Ha¬ram states of Borno,
Adamawa and Yobe States before coming here.
"You must show me your iden¬tity today; drag him
into the cell now", the DPO thundered.
As the drama continued, at¬tempts by the police to
force the Army Captain into their cell was stoutly
resisted but the police tore his clothes as they were
trying to drag him into their cell.
The scenario attracted the atten¬tion of passers-by
and people in the neighbourhood who helped in
pleading with the police to release the Army officer
but all to no avail.
One of the policemen was said to have started
shooting into the air apparently to disperse the crowd
when somebody in the crowd was said to have alerted
the military of the development.
The scene was said to have been stormed by four
Hilux vans filled with solders shortly afterwards.
The soldiers were said to have been highly infuriated
when they discovered that the man being manhandled
by the police was tru¬ly an Army officer.
They were said to have descend¬ed on the policemen
including the DPO and gave them the beating of their
life.
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