A clash between soldiers and policemen over a girlfriend left four mobile police officers and one soldier dead in Damaturu, Yobe State capital, yesterday, with several others injured.
Among the wounded mobile police officer is Buba Dauda, the Mobile Commander in Yobe State, whose abduction by the soldiers in the wee hours of yesterday triggered the face-off between the two security agencies.
Vanguard gathered from sources that the clash resulted from a misunderstanding that erupted between a serving Army Captain and some mobile policemen over a girlfriend the military officer allegedly snatched from a mobile policeman.
The situation did not go down well with the policeman, who mobilised his colleagues to beat the Captain comatose.
On hearing what happened to their colleague, some soldiers stormed the residence of the police team’s boss in the area in two patrol vans and took him to an unknown destination.
It was gathered that the fight began when some mobile policemen also teamed up to confront the soldiers regarding the whereabouts of their Commander.
Officer’s narrative
According to a mobile police officer, who spoke to Vanguard at Yobe State Specialist Hospital, where the Mobile Commander is receiving treatment, “we received the news that our commandant, CSP Buba Dauda, was abducted by some soldiers and taken to Sasawa village and later taken to 233 Battalion in Damaturu.
“We then mobilised our men to rescue our commandant, although we did not know why he was abducted.
“In the process of rescuing him, we met with stiff resistance from the soldiers, which later resulted into full blown clash that left five people dead.
“We lost four of our men and we later discovered that our commandant, while in their custody, was shot in the abdomen.”
CSP Dauda was unable to speak to Vanguard. He remained motionless on the hospital bed after the operation to remove bullets from his abdomen.
Army reacts
Confirming the incident, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Kayode Ogunsanya, said a joint committee, made up of military and police personnel, had been set up to investigate the matter.
His words: “A joint committee between the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police has been set up to investigate the incident.
“This headquarters wishes to assure members of the public that the situation has been brought under control and normalcy restored.”
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