By Prince Okafor

There was pandemonium, yesterday, afternoon at Ijora-Badia area of Lagos as two police officers and a Nigerian Navy  personnel engaged in a shoot-out over regulation of tankers.

Tankers 

The two policemen, identified as Sergeant Tunde and Mogbojuri  attached to Badia Police Station, were said to have been beaten to stupor in the brawl, which took place at the Ijora axis of Apapa-Wharf Road.

While the beating of Mogbojuri was minor, that of his colleague was severe as his uniform was reportedly torn by the Naval personnel.

Operators of tricycles, popularly known as Keke Marwa and drivers of other commercial vehicles ran  for safety to avoid being hit by stray bullets, just as passersby and motorists plying the road to Apapa and Lagos Island, also avoided the area. No casualty was recorded.

It was gathered from a reliable source that the crisis started when two Naval personnel leading a tanker from the Western Avenue axis towards Apapa were stopped by the police operatives stationed at the scene of the incident referred to as three squares under the Ijora bridge.

According to eyewitness, the policemen had challenged the driver of the tanker for not queuing behind others and also not being cleared by them.

The action of the policemen was said to have been seen as an effrontery by the Naval ratings, who reportedly  slapped one of the policemen. “In the ensuing fracas, the Naval personnel were reportedly joined by their colleagues  on top of the bridge.