Date: 2017-03-15

In this report, AHMED 'LATEEF writes on the clash that occurred between operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and phone repairers at the roadside Computer Village, Challenge, Ilorin last week.

For about 20 minutes last Wednesday, sounds from sporadic gunshots engulfed the airspace intermittently. Shop owners locked themselves in; some passersby took refuge in nearby offices while others scampered for safety to avoid being caught by stray bullets.

The shooting spree, direct fallout of a fierce confrontation between some operatives of the Kwara State command of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and mobile hand-set repairers at the roadside market regarded as Ilorin Computer Village in Challenge area of the city, appeared strange, given that the location is considered to be a strategic area within Ilorin.

While the sporadic shooting lasted, palpable anxiety descended on the people within the vicinity. As the shooting was on going, Challenge Area, known for its hustling and bustling, became deserted. Motorists plying the route also disembarked to save themselves from being implicated in the melee.

That was the scene around 5pm last Wednesday when gun-wielding men of the Civil Defence dashed to the Computer Village at Challenge to avenge the assault allegedly visited on their colleague, who gave his mobile hand-set out for repair.

The officer, whose identity was not revealed, according to the Public Relations Officer of the state command of NSCDC, Mr Mr Kadir Olanrewaju Ibrahim, had approached a phone repairer in the Market to carry out repairs on his faulty mobile hand-set telephone, of which the repairer, did another thing.

In the course of effecting the repairs, Ibrahim alleged that the phone engineer formatted some personal informations of the officer without his consent, following which an argument ensued.

The NSCDC image-maker said an operational unit of the corps was dispatched to the scene after the officer reported the matter at the office, to invite the affected repairer to the corps office for amicable settlement.

He alleged that the phone repairers in the numbers, who were ready for confrontation, surrounded the NSCDC mobilized to the scene of the incident and began to hurl stones.

Ibrahim, however, said men of the corps shot into the air to disperse the irate mob when the atmosphere became charged and dismissed as false the reports that the NSCDC men engaged in deliberate sporadic shooting to intimidate harmless civilians.

He insisted that some unidentified people attempted to attack Civil Defence operatives who were mobilized to the Market to quell a brewing mayhem over the mobile hand-set telephone repair.

He disclosed that two suspects were arrested in connection with the incident.

"We got an information in the office around 5pm on Wednesday that our boys were being mobbed at Challenge. So when we got down to the place, we discovered that it was an issue of phone between our officers and the phone repairers at Challenge. Information was that, that our officer, though in mufti, took his phone for repairs. When he got there, he asked them to do a thing and they did different thing. When he went over to collect the phone, he discovered that the phone has been formatted.

"From there, exchange of words between two of them started. As young chaps, they started fighting each other. And the officer came down to report, after which our Operation Harmony sent our men down to invite the phone repairer, just for settlement.

"May be since they were aware that the guy is a Civil Defence Officer, they had got ready for the Civil Defence. When our guys got there, they did no other thing order than surrounding our officers and tried to mob them. In the course of that, they started throwing stones here and there.

"And for them to escape, Operation SARS came to assist our guys to escape. They shot into the air. Our guys too shot into the air just to get themselves escaped. And that is what happened. There was no any casualty. What they did was just to escape from that scene and disperse the crowd.

"Two suspects were arrested during the incident and they are in our custody. The law would take its cause on them. So, there is nothing like our men deliberately engaged in sporadic shooting", the NSCDC image-maker said.

But the Chairman, Challenge Market, Ilorin, Mr Mashood Afuwape, passed the buck on the NSCDC officer, whom he said, was not patient enough to be informed of what really transpired.

He told The Herald that the officer, who initially claimed to be a soldier, gave his mobile hand-set to a man, who was not in position to repair the telephone while that one handed it over to an engineer, who in turn, worked on the telephone.

Afuwape informed that the uniform officer, though in mufti at the time of the incident, had gone to report at his office while the engineer, whom he allegedly slapped, also reported at the police station.

He stated that the officer, who came in company of his colleagues, brandishing guns, wanted to slap him also but resisted the attempt even in spite of the presence of policemen from "A" Division of the state police command, who were at the scene of the incident to invite the NSCDC officer for a peace talk.

He noted that after resistance, the civil defence officer agreed to follow him to the police station, adding that it was on their way going that a patrol vehicle of the civil defence overtook while the operatives started shooting sporadically into the air, insisting that the matter be taken to their office.

Afuwape disclosed that the police team became angry at that point over the unruly attitude of the NSCDC men.

The chairman, who claimed that the NSCDC operatives assaulted and inflicted injury on him while trying to mediate in the matter, also alleged that the armed civil defence men harassed innocent passersby during the incident.

"What really happened is that a customer (civil defence officer) came to repair his phone, of which someone attended to him, and the particular person that attended to him was not in position to repair the phone, which he gave to one Engineer to flash for him. He flashed the phone. After the Engineer flashed the phone, the guy that brought it was not available inside the Market again. But the customer and the person who handed over the phone to the Engineer were somehow related.

"Unfortunately, when the owner of the phone came, he met the absence of that person he gave the phone to. The owner moved to the Engineer and he told him you are not in position to collect the phone from me, because you were not the one that gave the phone to me. They should go and call the person, who asked me to repair the phone.

"Shortly after that, the customer requested that he wanted to check the phone, and the Engineer afterward, handed it over to him. And immediately, he reacted that his contacts and messages were no longer on the phone. And the Engineer replied that you were not the person who gave me the phone. I have no business with you. And the customer started saying that you are going to provide my contacts.

"And for the Engineer to avoid a problem, he asked the customer that let's go to the Chairman's office. On getting to my office, they discovered that I was not around. They went to one of our elders office. While they were there, the Engineer was explaining the matter to the elder for amicable settlement.

"He had barely started when the customer, who claimed to be a soldier slapped him, and the Engineer said it is not up to this. The customer subsequently gave him head boot and people around started saying that what happened, take it easy.

"On my way coming, I met the customer and I asked him what actually went wrong. I even begged him to know whether somebody had offended him. When he explained to me, I still begged him to calm down. At that moment, the Engineer was coming and I even slapped him in his presence. I corrected him that this man is your customer, and customer is always right. After slapping him, he could not say anything, he was just crying.

"Immediately I slapped the guy, the man who claimed to be a soldier left. And the boy explained to me what actually happened and I told him I don't want any problem. I asked the boy to go and report (at the police station). After he reported the matter, some policemen followed him down to Challenge as if the customer was still around.

"So, when the guy left with the policemen for him to go and write statement at the police station, the customer came with Civil Defence officers. On getting to my side, I was trying to tell him that Mr Man you had gone, this guy explained to me that you were not the one that gave the phone to him, why were you dragging with him, very simple. I told him Mr Man, you were wrong for beating that guy, and immediately, he gave me head boot on my face. And I asked him what happened. In fact, people wanted to beat him but I calmed them down.

"I was the one that guarded and covered him. And I called the police that the customer is here that they should come. When policemen got to the Market, I pointed to the man and they asked him to follow them that people were much here and that they should be going to the police station to settle the case. He said no, that they should rather be going to the NSCDC office. And now that we discovered that you are a Civil Defence officer, not a soldier that you claimed to be, that is why we cannot go to Civil Defence office. And we said let's go to the police station. He now said that he was not going to follow us. I was even convinced that let's go Civil Defence office that they cannot do me anything, that this case is very clear.

"But people insisted that the man is an NSCDC officer that we should go the police station since the police is neutral on the matter. We later settled that we should be going to "A" Division of the police. On our way going, the Civil Defence vehicle made a turning and face Ahmadu Bello Way as if they were going to negotiate the Roundabout. The police vehicle immediately turned back and blocked them. Even at that point, I was still discussing with them that they should take matter easy, that by getting to the police station, we are going to settle this case amicably. Being a customer, I didn't want any problem. I want everything settled amicably.

"The Civil Defence people said no, and immediately, they started shooting sporadically. Another patrol vehicle came in from the NSCDC office. And one of them brought stick and started beating people. On getting to my side, he wanted to use it on me, I had to defend it. I was asking them what happened, they were shouting on me. I said I cannot run away from you, that we are all together.

"Before you know it, six of them mobbed me and started shooting. They said they want to drag me to their office, and I said am not going anywhere. And the policemen were there watching them since they were shooting. While still dragging it with them, one of them removed knife from the pouch and stabbed me near my upper arm. It was the policemen that came in and asked them to leave me alone, that we should be going to the police station.

"While I was being taken to police station, the rest of them (Civil Defence officers) faced my people, broke glasses and scattered many things. Many phones were lost when they were breaking the glasses. We cannot see those phones again", Afuwape said.