An Assistant Superintendent of Police was allegedly stabbed to death over the weekend in the Satellite area of Lagos during an altercation with some naval personnel.
Three other people who allegedly attempted to intervene were reportedly attacked by naval personnel.
The deceased policeman, Abion Hezikel, who was the leader of a team of Anti Traffic Robbery Patrol team within Oluti area of Satellite, was said to have stopped two motorcycles on which were two passengers each.
Eyewitnesses said the motorcyclists and the passengers were in mufti. One of the riders was said to have ordered his colleague to ignore the police, an action that reportedly led to an altercation.
An eyewitness, who identified himself as Moyosore Similoluwa, said: “The incident happened at about 8 pm on Saturday. When the policemen insisted the Okada men should identify who they were, one of them brought out a jackknife, claiming they were military personnel. Before we knew it, the whole place was in disarray. One of the men on the motorbike stabbed one of the policemen in the chest.
“At this point, people gathered, saying they would not allow them to go. They injured three persons, who attempted to stop them. Some policemen were also injured.
“Two of them managed to escape on their motorcycle. But two others didn’t. The crowd held them and their bike until a reinforcement of policemen came.
“That was when they said they were naval personnel. The police rushed their wounded colleague that was bleeding to the hospital while another team took the two men to the station.”
Police sources told newsmen that ASP Hezikel was confirmed dead on arrival by the doctor on duty at Adeyemi Hospital, Satellite Town Hall.
The three injured mediators who sustained minor injuries were said to have been treated and discharged.
Meanwhile, at the Satellite Division, the two arrested persons identified themselves as naval personnel attached to the Nigerian Navy Central Pay Office, Apapa.
The suspects, Onyekachi Egwumian with service number 20507, age 27 years, and Ebubechukwu Growth with service number 16933, age 28 years, were said to have been detained while a call was put across to the military authority to ascertain their claim as naval personnel.
The Police further requested the Navy to assist in the arrest of the other fleeing personnel and their subsequent release to the Police.
Contacted Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, simply stated that the investigation was ongoing. He said the matter had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID Yaba, while the corpse had been deposited at the IDH morgue Yaba, for autopsy.
He added that the family of the deceased cop had been contacted.
However, when the Western Naval Command Information Officer, Commander Edward Yeibo, was contacted, he explained that an argument ensued between the naval personnel and policemen, in the process of which the policeman corked his gun at the naval personnel.