Residents of Oremeji, in the Shasha area of Alimosho Local Government, Lagos State, were thrown into panic on November 9 after a confrontation between street boys and a Nigerian Air Force officer turned violent, leaving the officer stabbed.
Community members who spoke with Punch Metro during a visit on Saturday said the incident began at a football pitch when the ball allegedly struck the officer, who was not in uniform at the time.
A resident, identified simply as Baba, narrated how the situation escalated.
He said, “Some boys were playing football on Oremeji Street here in Shasha when the ball hit the man, who was not in uniform. Nobody knew he was an officer.
“He tried to seize the ball and beat the boy who kicked it. People begged him, but he punched the boy, and others around tried to restrain him.”
According to Baba, the situation worsened when the officer allegedly brandished a knife.
He said, “When he noticed a crowd gathering, he brought out a knife from his pocket. He stabbed the ball and threatened that if anyone touched him, he would stab them. In the process, some of the boys trying to hold him back sustained injuries.
“A fight broke out, and one of the boys managed to collect the knife and stabbed him. Nobody still knew he was an officer. They rushed him to the hospital, but we later heard he didn’t survive the injury.”
Another resident, Sola, said military personnel later invaded the community in search of those behind the attack.
“Air Force officers stormed the area. They beat up some people while searching for the boy and his family. They were from the Shasha base,” he said.
He added that the community had been in fear since the altercation, alleging the police had yet to intervene meaningfully.
Shops Close Early As Residents Flee Area At Night
Residents told Punch Metro that panic spread across nearby areas, including Orisumbare, with many business owners closing shops earlier than usual.
A business owner identified as Eniola said, “We have been living in fear since the incident happened.
“Shop owners now close much earlier than expected. And this was after the Air Force officers came on the second and third day to assault and pick people up randomly. The people who committed the act had fled the community, and the innocent people are the ones getting punished.”
Another resident, Esther Komolafe, alleged that military personnel fired tear gas during a reprisal.
She said, “We were driving along the route when we saw people running helter-skelter. We got closer before we realised that the Air Force officers had fired tear gas. As I speak to you, the area is still tense, and we no longer take the route once it is evening.”
Police: ‘No One Died, Officer Is Alive’
However, the Lagos State Police Command has dismissed reports that the injured officer died.
Speaking on Monday, the command’s spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, said the officer survived the attack.
“There was a fight between some individuals, and after the fight, they realised that the injured person happened to be an Air Force officer. He was only injured; nobody died,” he stated.
Adebisi stated that the matter had not been formally reported, but the Divisional Police Officer had visited the area.
He said, “The DPO later identified the injured officer and confirmed he had received treatment and is alive.”
The police also dismissed allegations that Air Force officers had been terrorising residents in retaliation.
“The claim that Air Force officers have been disturbing people is not true. There is nothing like that,” Adebisi said.
He explained that an attempted reprisal by some of the officers’ colleagues was halted through the intervention of the DPO and community leaders.
Adebisi added, “The commandant of the Air Force was also engaged in a round-table discussion, and the area has been peaceful since then.”
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