Breaking: ASP Abion Hezikel Killed As Police, Naval Officers Clash In Lagos

There was pandemonium yesterday in Lagos State after some officers of the Nigeria Police Force and some Naval personnel engaged in a brawl.

This online medium learnt that an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Abion Hezikel, was killed during the fight.

It was gathered that the bloody fight started when the security agents were arguing over a traffic infraction.

At least three civilians also sustained varying degrees of wounds in the dirty fight, which reportedly happened in the Satellite town of Lagos.

The attack on civilians reportedly happened after some passersby tried to wade into the argument between the two security agencies.

An eyewitness, Steven Ogbodeto, who identified himself as a commercial bus driver, told reporters that he saw a police patrol team arguing over an undisclosed issue with some navy officers.

He said he had stopped to see if he could wade in and settle the dispute, but the naval personnel went wild and began to fight the policemen.

Also narrating the incident, a police officer, who pleaded not to be mentioned in print because he was unauthorized to speak, said: “The naval personnel stabbed our men with jack knives. We were able to rush our men and three other passersby to Adeyemi Private Hospital, but ASP Abion Hezikel could not make it as he was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty. Anyway, the other officers and three passersby who were so stabbed were treated and discharged.

“Two of the naval personnel have been arrested while two others are at large, but we have reported the incident to the military authorities to enable them to release the other two fleeing personnel of the Navy.”

Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the case was under investigation.

He said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos, while the deceased’s corpse had been deposited at a public mortuary in Yaba.

However, the Command Information Officer, Western Naval Command, Edward Yeibo, told Daily Trust that the fracas started due to a traffic infraction between two naval ratings and some policemen in the area.

He explained that during the process, some policemen and urchins who arrived at the scene started a fight with the ratings.

“Some policemen arrived at the scene on a motorcycle and started firing. Presently, an investigation is being conducted to ascertain the actual cause of the incident. The outcome of the investigation would be made public,” he said.