Soldiers, policemen’s clash causes pandemonium in Minna

Minna, the the Niger State capital, was thrown into pandemonium as
relationship between the Nigerian Army and the Police on Friday
suffered a major set back when soldiers, numbering about 100 from the
31 Artillery Brigade, Minna, stormed a Police division and held the
officers hostage for over one hour.

The soldiers were said to have stormed the police station in three
trucks at about 10.30am to demand an explanation from the police on
why one of their men was allegedly manhandled and injured by the
police on Thursday.

Trouble was said to have started when the soldier in question(name
withheld) was involved in a car accident with a civilian, which was
said to have led to a hot exchange of words between the soldier and
the civilian, who, our correspondent learnt, was a son of a retired
Wing Commander in the Nigeria Air-force.

The altercation was said to have attracted the attention of the
policemen, who came to scene.
The Soldier and the wing commander son were later taken to the police
station for a possible settlement by the police.
On getting to the station, it was learnt that an argument ensued
between the police and the soldier, leading to the manhandling of the
soldier.
However, a lieutenant in the Army from the Artillery Barack in Minna
was said to have gone to the police station and pleaded for the
release of the soldier, promising that the Army Authority would handle
the matter and the Divisional Police Officer promptly released the
soldier to him.
Our correspondent gathered that on getting to the barrack, a Captain,
whose name was given as KC Ezigbo, whom the the soldier was handed
over to, demanded to know why and who injured the soldier.
Following the soldier's explanation, it was learnt that when the
soldier narrated his ordeal, the Captain drafted some of his troops to
ensure they brought the policemen that manhandled and injured the
soldier.
It was gathered that the warring soldiers, in commando style, stormed
the police station, seized the armoury and disarmed all the policemen
on duty, who were caught unaware by the invasion.
Those that tried to resist the invaders were allegedly beaten up.
It took the intervention of the state police commissioner, Nsirim
Desire, who called the Artillery Commander in Minna, Brigadier General
Christ Ilouga, to ask his boys to return to the barrack.
This led to pandemonium in the state capital as residents ran in
different directions for fear of a possible exchange of gunfire
between the soldiers and police personnel.