DSS officials and policemen at the scene
Via Punch:
A scuffle broke out at
the tollgate of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, between some
police officers and officials of the Department of State Service over toll fee.
An eyewitness, Wale
Williams, said the DSS officials, who also had some policemen in their convoy
of three vehicles, seized a toll collector for allegedly demanding money from
them, saying they were “officers of the law.”
Williams said other
policemen guarding the tollgate were subsequently locked in a hot exchange with
the DSS operatives and at a point, the officers pointed guns at one another.
He said, “The incident
happened around 2pm on Sunday at the tollgate when I was coming back from
church.
“The DSS officers and a
few policemen were in three vehicles; they all had private numbers. The men
were carrying guns.
“When they approached
the tollgate, the toll official asked for money, but they said they were
officers of the law and declined to pay.
“But the official did
not allow them to pass, insisting that they had to pay him. So, they forced
their way in. Then, they came down and dragged the guy out of his office
cubicle.”
He said the officers
started pummeling the unidentified toll collector, and not done, attempted to
squeeze him into the trunk of one of their vehicles.
The situation was said
to have caused a gridlock on the road, as some other commuters alighted from
their vehicles to plead with the officers.
Williams said the
policemen attached to the tollgate radioed their station and were ordered to
bring the officials to the Bissam Police Station.
“There were about five
of the DSS and policemen there. When the toll policemen said they should follow
them to the station, the convoy policemen drew their guns at the toll police
officers.
“The DSS officials too,
who had sophisticated arms, pulled them out and it became a free-for-all. It
was a real madness,” he added.
It was learnt that the
DSS officials later agreed to follow the policemen to the station, at which
point, Williams said he left the scene.
Our correspondent
visited the airport on Monday and met with some officials at the tollgate, who
equally confirmed the incident.
It was learnt that according
to the rules of the tollgate, cars are supposed to pay N200, while sport
utility vehicles and buses are to pay N300.
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