EXCLUSIVE: Two Dead, Others Injured as Immigration, Custom and Army Officers Allegedly Clash in Lagos

Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Azubuike Ihejirika 

A free-for-all fight between personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service (NSC), the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Army (NA), weekend at the Badagry area of Lagos ended in a blood bath as three persons were allegedly killed in the fracas.

The security operatives who are from sister services were said to have first engaged in a scuffle which later degenerated to a gun duel at one of the checkpoints at Gbaji area of Badagry.

Unspecified number of persons, among who are beer parlour owners operating close to the check point also sustained various degrees of wounds in a free-for-all fight which involved security personnel from the Nigerian Army, Custom, and Immigration.

Police sources said the fracas started when an alleged smuggler Sunday Olu alias Sunny Olu Omo, went round asking traders in the area to switch off their generating sets.

When asked the reason for the directive, Olu claimed policemen from the State Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, were planning to raid the area.

His claims were however debunked by some plain-cloth security men and out of anger at having his orders thwarted, Olu was said to have ordered his men to disconnect all the generating sets. 

The angry traders were said to have engaged in a fisticuffs with the hoodlums until some soldiers who were allegedly friends with Olu were called in to rescue him and the situation turned into a fight between both security agencies.

Meanwhile, about 50 traders staged a protest to the Palace of the Alapa of Owode Apa, Oba to official express their dissatisfaction over the persistent threat to their lives by Sunny Olu Omo.

One of the traders who identified herself as Sakirat Owolabi alleged that the suspect, was detained at SARS ikeja for a period of 14 days for allegedly firing a shot at a middle aged man.

The Custom Public Relations Officer (PRO), Seme, Border, Deputy Superintendent of Custom (DSC), Ernest Olottah, while confirming the incident stated that the incident did not occur at their check point. He stated that, though, they heard the shooting, cut could not say those involved in the fracas.

"Further to your enquiry about allegation of shooting at Gbaji, please be informed that the said incident  did not take place at any Customs checkpoint and there is no linkage of any of our personnel to that."

However, the Assistant Director in charge of 81 Division Public Relations (DPR), Colonel Kingsley Umoh said no soldier was involved in any shooting incident at Badagry area of Lagos.