SAN FRANCISCO, June 23, (THEWILL) – Soldiers and Policemen on Thursday got engaged in a battle for supremacy at the Borno State Government House in Maiduguri in a clash over rice meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
THEWILL gathered that IDPs, since Monday, have daily thronged the Borno State Government House to collect bags of rice on distribution to no avail with most of them unable to get the rice due to the harsh treatment from the security operatives on guard to maintain order.
However, the situation hit boiling point on Thursday morning during a face-off between the Policemen and Soldiers who allegedly wanted a share of their largesse.
According to eyewitnesses, the soldiers tried to force their ways into the Deputy Governor’s Office, the place designated for the distribution, so as to get their vehicles filled with bags of rice.
This was said to have irked the mobile policemen who refused, and this infuriated the soldiers who engaged the policemen and fired several warning shot to indicate their determination to get their will obeyed.
The mobile policemen also showed they were prepared for the raging battle as they equally shoot severally and released canisters of teargas which made the IDPs to take to their heels.
At the end of the exchange many IDPs were left injured as were forced to scamper for safety while a policeman was shot in one of his legs in the gun battle.
It took the intervention of the Commander of the counter-insurgency operation in the Northeast, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, for the soldiers to withdraw.
The Police and the Army in a joint statement signed by the Garrison Commander of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Col. Solomon Ikumapayi and the Borno State Commissioner of Police, Aminchi Baraya, later revealed that the situation has been brought under control.
“There was an unfortunate fracas between a soldier and a policeman around the office of the Deputy Governor over a disagreement which led to the unfortunate shooting of a policeman on his foot,” the statement read.
“The distribution was meant to take place at 28 wards of the two local government areas unfortunately, when the exercise was launched in old Maiduguri ward for Jere local government area and at Shehuri north ward for Maiduguri on Sunday, hoodlums overpowered the committee in both instances and made away with many bags of the rice meant for the displaced persons.
“As a result, officials tasked with the distribution shifted the exercise to two premises around the office of the Deputy Governor outside the Government House in order to ensure security of the food items while beneficiaries were identified and issued with allocation notes to give them access to the distribution centres. The exercise had gone smoothly since Sunday with some wards covered, until the unfortunate development today, Thursday.
“The Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force in Maiduguri jointly condemn this unfortunate incident which was quickly brought under full control within minutes.
“The Army and the Police are jointly investigating the cause of the fracas with a view to ensuring that anyone found culpable amongst the security men are made to face disciplinary measures in line with laid down rules of the Nigerian Armed Forces. Findings and measures taken will be brought to public knowledge as soon as possible.”
Irabor, Commissioner Baraya subsequently visited the injured policeman at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital where he was taken to for treatment.
Story by David Oputah
