A bloody clash was averted Saturday when some armed soldiers stormed Ijeh Police Barracks in Obalende, Lagos, to evict police officers and men living there.
Their presence resulted in pandemonium as wives and children of the policemen ran helter-skelter on seeing the soldiers who were armed to the teeth subjecting people to thorough searches and issuing orders for them to pack out from their residence.
Checks reveal that the armed soldiers barricaded the entrance to the barracks and subjected the occupants to thorough searching before they allowed them to leave for their daily businesses.
Eyewitness reports said the presence of the armed soldiers infuriated a team of mobile policemen living in the barracks and they confronted the soldiers with their arms.
The situation was said to have been brought under control after the soldiers cleverly withdrew from the barracks with a vow to come again.
It was learned that police authorities in Abuja had earlier directed that policemen resident in some barracks in the state to vacate to give room for rehabilitation of the buildings. The directive, according to findings, gave a May 30, deadline with a promise to pay compensation. However, at the expiration of the deadline, it was also gathered that none of the policemen were paid compensation. Rather, forms were issued to them to give details of their account.
The affected police officers had in turn rejected the order alleging that the police authorities did not provide them and their families an alternative residence where they could move, leaving them with no choice but to reject the vacation order.
It was further learnt that at the time the soldiers stormed the Ijeh Police Barracks, the electric power supply to the buildings was cut off and residents of the barracks were thrown into darkness.
A source, disclosed that, “We were in our quarters when we saw some soldiers laying siege to our barracks. We don’t know who gave them such orders. They took over our gate very early in the morning and they were harassing our wives going out for their business and the next thing they told us was that they had a court order asking us to vacate the barracks.
“We didn’t understand what was going on, but as police officers, we are serving this country, protecting lives and properties so our lives need to be cared for. We don’t know what is going on, and we want police authorities to come and address us properly.”
