Naval Personnel Allegedly Kills Petrol Tanker Driver

CNS, USMAN JIBRIN

Pandemonium Friday broke out at the Trinity area of the Lagos-Apapa Expressway, Lagos State, when a trigger-happy personnel allegedly attached to the Nigerian Navy, shot a tanker driver dead.

This is coming on the heels of the warning issued by the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, during his first meeting with personnel, that the navy would not tolerate indiscipline and trigger-happy officers who try to soil the image of the service.

According to eyewitness report, the personnel who was posted to help manage the terrible traffic snarl along that axis had approached the deceased who was simply identified as Lekan and allegedly asked for gratification.

The deceased was said to have rebuffed attempts to obtain money forcefully from him and in provocation, the alleged naval officer purportedly pulled his service weapon and shot the deceased point blank.

It was an angry mob consisting of tanker drivers and sympathisers that took to the streets to register their grouse at the senseless death of their colleague and the disappearance of the suspect into thin air.

The protest almost degenerated to a full scale riot but for the swift intervention of policemen from the Trinity Police Station, who swung into action and put out the burning tyres and removed the barricade placed on the road by the angry mob.

Although the corpse has since been taken away, full-scale investigations have commenced into the incident to unravel the identity of the suspect and his whereabouts.

Speaking to me, the Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, Commodore Ovenseri Uwadiae, who confirmed the incident said they were investigation the allegation fingering a naval personnel.

He said, "The information came to me at about 8am that the Liverpool-Trinity road was blocked by tanker drivers alleging that a member was shot by naval personnel and so they didn't allow traffic to pass. They burnt tyres and the police quickly swooped in to restore law and order.

"It is true that there is an allegation that a naval personnel was involved in a fracas with a tanker driver and shot the conductor. We must say that such incident is highly reprehensible because it resulted to loss of life.

"We want to say that it is still in the realm of investigation that a naval personnel is involved and because of that, we have commenced investigation to really find out if the suspect is a naval personnel.

"We want to assure the general public that the Nigerian Navy has the reputation of not covering up our personnel involved in any serious crime. And to that end, if we find out that any of our personnel is involved in that particular act, that personnel would be brought up and be made to face the full wrath of the law."

He said, "We appeal to the general public to remain calm and maintain peace and order and allow investigation to take place. We also appeal that anyone that has any useful information to come out to assist us in unravelling the suspect.

"It would actually help us to know who did the shooting and then the general public would be made to know whether it was a naval personnel and the action that follows thereafter.

"It is not only the NN that is investigating the incident, but the Nigerian Police Force are carrying out an independent investigation into the matter and at the end of the day, the true position of things would be made known to the police."

Uwadiae added, "It is sad because a human life was lost and a fellow Nigerian and if you know our CNS, he is someone that is highly tilted towards discipline and he would be the last person to cover up any personnel that takes the life of another.

"On the whereabouts of the corpse, I was in touch with the Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko and he contacted his Area Commander, who also briefed him. The allegation is against NN, so it would be wrong for us to take the corpse.

"So the police have been invited so that a neutral authority would be in charge and so investigation would flow properly. The allegation said naval personnel and I have not heard of the suspect being an Operation Mesa (OP MESA) personnel and on the issue of bribe, our first line of action was to restore law and order and then get eye witness account to unravel what happened there."

Speaking on the way out of such of reckless act, he said although they were yet to ascertain if it was a naval personnel, he said it was pertinent to note that the present CNS was highly interested and keen on civil/military relations and has always emphasised it.

"The NN belongs to all Nigerians and was created to protect Nigeria and all Nigerians, so the creation cannot be fighting its creator. We are a people oriented navy. So, in every fora where we address our men, emphasis has always been placed on civil/military relations," he said.