Two gunmen riding on a motor bike Thursday shot a policeman putting on
plain clothes “Mufti “, along the Murtala Muahmmed International
Airport access toll plaza, Lagos.
The gunmen men, who were on a power bike drove speedily toward the
Ikeja axis of the airport leaving the policeman attached to Hajj Camp
Police Station in the pool of his blood.
As at the time of the shooting, it could not be ascertain what led to
the action of the gunmen.
An eye-witness, Dr. Alex-Okoh who was at the scene of the shooting
said the policeman was walking toward the access gate at about 3:00pm
when two men on a power bike accosted and shot him before speeding
towards Ikeja, axis of the metropolis .
Dr. Okoh, a Port Health Public Health Service, a Department of Federal
Ministry of Health said that she was inside an Ambulance vehicle when
she saw people running helter skelter as a result of the shooting.
She said; “I was inside an Ambulance when I saw people running helter
skelter. When I came down from the Ambulance I saw a man lying in his
pool of blood.”
Dr. Okoh said immediately the she saw the policeman in the pool of his
blood, she ordered the driver of the Ambulance to take him to the
Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja for treatment.
According to her, “I immediately ordered the driver of the Ambulance
to take the shot Policeman to Lagos State University Teaching
Hospital, Ikeja for treatment”.
She however denied knowledge of what led to the shooting.
Some policemen on duty who declined to give their names confirmed the
incident and said they were waiting for the Divisional Police Officer
(DPO) as he is the only one that is permitted to speak on the
incident.
They said the DPO would report the incident of the shooting to the
Commissioner of Police, Airport Command.
Meanwhile Police Public Relations Officer at the airport, Mr. Dennis
Ifijeh said that he was not aware of the shooting. He said he will
investigate.
In a related development, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria
(FAAN), it was learnt is collaborating with the police to investigate
the circumstances leading to the shooting of a policeman around the
airport.
According to a source, investigations are on going to unravel the
remote and immediate cause of the incident.
Though details of the incident are not yet clear, the policeman, the
source said is receiving treatment from gunshot wounds at an
undisclosed hospital around the airport.
The source said:” We are still investigating the incident; the police
is on top of the situation.
We can categorically state that the incident did not happen around any
operational area around the airport.
“The incident did not disrupt any activity around the airport. The
situation is under control. The police are doing their best. Motor
bikes have been banned around the airport. Arising from these incident
security agencies, it was learnt will now zero in on the activities of
motor bike riders and operators around the airport.”
