A mild drama played out on Tuesday at the Oando Filling Station in the Ojodu Berger area of Lagos State when irate youths allegedly beat up a yet-to-be identified policeman who obstructed them from buying fuel at the station, The Punch reports.
Youths numbering over 50 had stormed the station with jerrycans as early as 4am as a result of the fuel scarcity when the Safer Highways Patrol policemen got to the station and had a squabble with them.
The victimized policeman, also attached to the unit, was, at about 9am, allegedly tortured by the angry youths who tore his uniform and absconded with his cap.
The youths who accused the policemen of provoking them were said to have caused a major gridlock at the Berger end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Commander, ACP Tunji Disu, alongside some officials, who cautioned the youths, urged them to maintain calm.
Disu was quoted to have said, “In a rowdy situation like this, you cannot rule out policemen shouting at people. But everyone has to be calm and take things easy.”
An official of the RRS simply identified as Olamide, spoke on the incident, saying the policeman had allegedly tortured a youth before they attacked him.
He said, “I have been here since 6am to buy fuel. At some point, the attendants said they would not sell to people with jerrycans.
“We tried talking them out of that decision. Then, the policemen came to the scene, and started harassing people.
“One of the officers attacked a young man. So, some youths became angry and punched the policeman. The youths tore his uniform and one of the attackers escaped with the policeman’s cap,” Olamide noted.
Reports allege the injured policeman was taken away in a van to an undisclosed hospital.
An eyewitness said, “The policemen are still looking for the thug who escaped with the officer’s cap.
“The policeman was hit in the nose, and he staggered and fell. He was dealt with because he and other officers wanted to harass people who were already provoked by the fuel situation,” the witness said.
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