By Evelyn Usman

A clash between private guards attached to Topline Security and Navy personnel was averted, yesterday, at Idi-Mongoro area of Atlas Cove, Lagos.

The armed private guards contracted to secure the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, pipelines, threatened to engage the naval personnel from the Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft, in a shootout and as well blow up the Island, on sighting the latter approaching.

Naval officers 

The matter was about who takes custody of 3000 jerry cans filled with petroleum products that were recovered from suspected vandals at Atlas Cove.

While the Navy accused the guards of conniving with vandals to siphon petroleum products around that axis, the latter claimed they impounded the products from vandals at the weekend, adding that they were loaded in five vehicles at the time of arrest.

But for the intervention of the Commander, NNS Beecfroft, Commodore Okon Eyo, who led the naval personnel, the situation would have been bloody.