Tragedy stuck in the Festac area of Lagos when two civilians were killed while two policemen were injured when soldiers shot at them.
According to New telegraph, the soldiers were stationed at the 7th Avenue area of Festac to combat the illegal act of oil bunkering.
There was a gun battle between soldiers and oil bunkers on Monday, November 16 at 4th avenue in Festac which resulted in soldiers being deployed to the area.
The shooting transpired after soldiers received message that larcenists had endeavored to glom Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), on 23th Avenue and that another set had assailed banks at Agbara, Ogun state.
The clash with vandals on Monday necessitated the erection of a barrier on the road by the soldiers. It was designated to betoken a high risk place and drivers were expected to decelerate when they reached the area.
At 10.30pm, the victim drove on speed and relucted to stop even when soldiers shouted at the conveyance and a commercial bus to stop. Cerebrating they were malefactors, the soldiers opened fire on the conveyance and after the smoke had cleared, two civilians were discovered dead while a policeman was shot in the buttock and another on the knee. One of the bullets ricocheted off a police van and hit one of the soldiers on the chest.
The wounded were first taken to a nearby hospital but were later transferred to the Lagos University Edifying Hospital (LUTH) in Idi-Araba.
A police source verbalized: “Surveillance men were on patrol. They sighted a Honda car. They mentally conceived the driver was a ‘yahooyahoo’ guy. The policemen were in a commercial bus as against the ordinant dictation of the Inspector General of Police (IG).
“The policemen flagged the Honda driver down, but he relucted to heed. The policemen commenced chasing him, up to 7th Avenue where the joint team of soldiers and policemen were stationed.
There was a barrier on the road to decelerate conveyances. The Honda driver and the policemen in commercial bus relucted to stop.”
The Honda driver drove towards the soldiers apparently thinking they would protect him from the men in the commercial vehicle. Their refusal to stop caused the soldiers to fire at them.
Joe Offor who is the state police public relations officer confirmed the incident. He described it as a case of omission rather than commission.
The Festac area of Lagos is notorious for vice among which is robbery which is fast becoming common place.
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