Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki
A policeman was killed on Wednesday in Ebonyi State, Nigeria’s South-East, when a team of policemen clashed with officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The incident happened at a mining site in Amaeze community, Ivo Local Government Area of the state.
Chairman of Ivo Local Government Area, Emmanuel Ajah, confirmed the incident on Thursday when contacted.
He said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ivo Division briefed him about the tragic confrontation between the two security agencies.
“I was informed by the DPO that there was a clash involving the police and civil defence officers in Amaeze community, and unfortunately, one police officer lost his life in the process,” Ajah stated.
Police Arrest NSCDC Officer
Spokesperson of the Police in Ebonyi State, Joshua Ukandu, also confirmed the incident in a statement he issued on Thursday.
According to him, a police team had gone to a quarry facility in the area at about 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday to arrest some suspects named in a petition.
Mr. Ukandu noted that on arrival, the suspects submitted themselves to the police after operatives properly identified themselves in the presence of soldiers and NSCDC personnel providing security at the site.
The spokesperson said that the soldiers on the ground allowed the process to proceed without objection.
Mr. Ukandu alleged that the situation escalated when the NSCDC team leader ordered his men to block the police vehicle, insisting that the suspects would not be taken away.
He further alleged that despite pleas from the suspects themselves, who expressed readiness to follow the police, the NSCDC officers resisted.
Mr. Ukandu said that events took a fatal turn when an NSCDC officer attempted to seize a rifle from one of the policemen.
He noted that in the struggle that followed, the firearm discharged, striking and fatally injuring a police officer.
The victim, he said, was rushed to the hospital but was later confirmed dead.
The spokesperson said the NSCDC officer involved has since been arrested, while a full-scale investigation into the incident has commenced.
Ukandu, a Superintendent of Police, condemned the obstruction, stressing that no individual or group has the authority to interfere with police officers performing their constitutional duties.
“The Ebonyi State Command reiterates that no individual has the authority to obstruct the Nigeria Police Force in the lawful discharge of its constitutional mandate,” the statement read.
The statement did not disclose the identity of the late police officer or that of the arrested NSCDC official.
This incident has once again raised concerns about inter-agency rivalry between security outfits in Nigeria, with calls expected from the public and civil society for a thorough investigation and accountability.
