The police denied that its officers shot any civil defence officer.

The Lagos State Police Command has denied claims that its officers attacked officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, on Wednesday.

In a press statement issued by Ngozi Braide, its spokesperson, the police said the civil defence officers disarmed police officers responding to a distress call over alleged petroleum pipeline vandalism at Mosimi.

“The Lagos State Command wishes to use this medium to put the record straight on what actually transpired at Isawo-Ikorodu at early hours of today 27/3/2013 between the NSCDC and the Police,” said the statement.

“At about 0145hrs of date, there was a distress call from DM security PPMC, Mosimi that they were experiencing drop in pressure on the pipeline. The Unit Commander in charge of Konu immediately pulled out his men on Konu axis under Inspr Sunday Gabriel to proceed to the scene.”

Ms. Braide said that as the police officers were approaching the scene, they heard sounds of “serious gun firing” near the pipeline area; and Mr. Gabriel instructed his men to head towards the direction.”

“Upon arrival, they saw a group of Civil Defence Corp Members coming out from the direction where the shooting was earlier heard,” Ms. Braid, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said.

“The NSCDC men challenged the policemen who were about four in number on what their mission was in the area; ‘saying that it was their sole responsibility (Civil Defence) to guide and protect pipelines,” she added.

An argument ensued thereafter, according to the police statement, and the most senior NSCDC officer, DSC Olufemi, ordered his men, numbering 14, to disarm, arrest and handcuff the police team leader and three other members of his team.

“The NSCDC succeeded in disarming the police team leader, Inspr Sunday Gabriel, handcuffed him, collected his service pistol, walkie-talkie, and police I.D card,” the statement continued.

“As they were about dragging him into one of their standby hilux vehicles, a phone call was put to the Police Unit Commander reporting the situation. The three other officers resisted the arrest and this infuriated Civil Defence Officials who started shooting sporadically to intimidate and subdue the Police officers.

“Before the Police Commander could arrive the scene, the NSCDC officials had taken to their heels abandoning the handcuffed and leg chained Police Inspector with one NSCDC personnel.”


Ms. Braide further said that afterwards, the Police Commander at Mosimi received a “shocking” call from the NSCDC Commander that two of his men had been killed.


“Up till now, the pistol of Inspr Sunday Gabriel, who was badly beaten and stabbed by the NSCDC officials, including his other accoutrements are still with NSCDC,” said Ms. Braide.

The police account of the incident differs from the NSCDC version which stated that one of the policemen they encountered said that the NSCDC had no right to operate in the pipeline area.


An argument ensued and the NSCDC officers left the police only to encounter a hail of bullets from a second team of police officers, an NSCDC source said.


The NSCDC account also said that the arrested pipeline vandals made several phone calls to the police and escaped after the police attack.


The police spokesperson added that the incident led to NSCDC officers at Alausa, Ikeja, assaulting three police officers – Sergeant Charles Igiebor, Corporal Ekun Julius, and Corporal Okoro Charles – who went for National I.D Card registration exercise, on Wednesday morning.


“They also started attacking Policemen on sight in other parts of the State,” she added.
Ms. Braide advised Lagos residents to remain calm as “investigation into the matter has commenced.”

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/127217-lagos-police-claims-its-men-were-provoked-into-killing-nscdc-officials.html

Nigerian police! Nigeria police!! Nigerian police!!! Always in the bad book everywhere yet they always want to cover up their wickedness.

Is dat all?

Who is lying now? I suspect the police are the culprits here.

This thng called police in Nigeria needs to be scrapped! just replace thm wit civil defence!
The two stories gt k-leg. wen dd dose arrestd by nscdc made call, b4 or afta arrest

agoha_vivi: Who is lying now? I suspect the police are the culprits here.

You are still suspecting

What kind of thought processes are we rearing in this country abeg?

Policeman wey kill dog, na him brother he don kill. Cos both of them na for security.
No comment!

Wonders shall never end!

Civil Defence Corps 'disarmed' armed policemen? How? How many policemen were so disarmed? What are their names and ranks? Which station did they move from? Whose distress call were they responding to? What type of arms were collected from them?

Is it also not funny that no policeman died (none was even injured) but two Corps died? Does this make sense considering that the Corps were also armed?

Who first got to the crime scene? What did the Police do on getting there? Is it likely that the Defence Corps could have proceeded to disarm a supporting agency?

By the way, the Police are notorious for extra-judicial killings, human rights abuses, corruption and inefficieny. This ignoble image also does not help matters.

From all indications, the Police told a white lie. They've been highly unsuccessful in effectively policing the country and they are unsuccessful at this lie. Shame on them!

idupaul:

You are still suspecting

What kind of thought processes are we rearing in this country abeg?

@idupaul; There's always three sides to a story. The ofensive, the defensive and the truth. In as much as I doubt the claims given by the police force, I wouldn't explitely say so simply because I wasn't there. If you wish to state otherwise, that's your business afterall we all are entitled to our various opinions.

Banana republic
And this is coming from the Nigerian Police that arrested jobless protesters in Bayelsa and charge them to court the next day for cultism.
Or the ones that arrived at an armed robbery scene and shot an innocent unarmed banker claiming he was a suspect.
.
NSCDC has a lot of fear respect for Police and under no circumstances can they engage the police first in any attack.
.
in my wild deduction, the vandals have their Oga in the police and when they were arrested, they quickly made an emergency call to their sponsor. On arrival, they attempt to free the vandals based on orders from above but they NSCDC resisted and the disagreement evolved into shooting and the NSCDC took to their heels.
.
Police should answer these questions:
1. Why is it that a citizen calls for help on the phone and it takes police hours to reach but vandals call them and it took them minutes to arrive.
2. Where are they vandals now.
3. **coming**

What a daft, uncreative, implausible lie!

They are cowards..
Would they try that with the army?

D POLICE HAS ALWAYS BEING KNOWN TO B INVOLVED WITH ONE EVIL ACT OR D ODA,BSIDES, THEY ALWAYS LIKE TO DEFEND THEIR EVIL ACT. WHY SHOULD THEY KILL THE NSCDC WEN NONE OF DEM WAS KILLED? I DONT BLIVE D POLICE STORIES

Niaja Police, stop lying, even a fool will know this is a big lie haba, can't stop laughing with the nonsense write up, they should have kept quiet which is better than this big lie. unarmed Civil Defense men disarmed Naija police, haba, we are not all fools

yuzedo: What a daft, uncreative, implausible lie!

I was seething with anger when i read the police's side of the story. This is so, so foolish. Do they take Nigerians for fools? The NPF needs to be totally overhauled. Instead of the snrs to admit that their officers erred, they try to make them seem innocent and heroic. The other time, i read about how the police murdered a student of UNAD and nothing has been done about it. It's better for an armed robber to attack than a Nigerian police officer to do the same thing. An armed robber will be after ur property but a Nigerian policeman will be after your freedom, integrity, property and life.

Funy Funny Funny stories. This country is damned mehn.

dying for pipeline dat does not belong to ur fada. somtin u may neva benefit from. bunkering continues

.

Now, we don't even know who is lying

This is a serious case. NCSDC are more civilised and well trained. Police are liers and full of criminals

You guys should questioned both sides. I agree with the questions raised on the side of the police force.

What I don't understand is that how could the arrested vandals placed a phone call when nscdc officers agreed they were arrested.

Both fighting for superiority ?

I thought the PPRO of police said she isn't aware of the situation? how did she manage to fabricate all these lies? Nigeria Police no dey disappoint at all!

See yeye format. The lie story too long. They should have shortened it. You give abokis and touts who didn't finish secondary school, black uniform and guns. What do you expect? Banana Republic!!!

If I were to choose I will say the police

Rubbish response!

This is Nigeria where issues like this will be swept under the carpet. In saner climes, the police officers responsible for murdering fellow uniformed men will be behind bars by now.

That's how soldiers will be provoked to murder them too.

Who should we believe?