Police And Army Clash In Minna, Niger State.

                       
The relationship between the Nigerian Army and the Police on Friday suffered a major set back when Soldiers, numbering about 100 from the 31 Artillery Brigade, Minna stormed the a Police division and held the officers and Men to hostage for over one hour. The Soldiers were said to have stormed the police station to demand explanation from the police on why one of their men was said to have been manhandled leading to sustaining of injury by the police in the previous night.
Trouble was said to have started when the soldier in question(name withheld) was involved in a car accident with a civilian and this led to a hot exchange between the civilian They were later taken to the police station for a possible settlement by the police but on getting to the station and argument was said have ensued between the police and the soldier, leading to the manhandling of the soldier. However a lieutenant in the Army from the Artillery Barack in Minna  was said to have gone to the police station and pleaded for the release of the Soldier, promising that the Army Authority will handle the matter and the Divisional Police Officer(DPO) promptly released the soldier to him. On getting to the Barrack, a Captain, whom the the soldier was handed over to demanded to know why and who injured his Man and when the soldier narrated his ordeal, the Captain was said to have ordered his Men to go and bring those policemen that have tortured and injured the soldier. It took the intervention of the state police commissioner, Nsirim Desire who call the Artillery commander in Minna, Brigadier General Christ Ilouga to ask his Boys to return to the Barrack. This led to pandemonium as people run for their lives for fear of a possible exchange of gun fire. The police Police Relation Officer of the state commander, Mr. Richard Oguche when contacted on the incident said the police command was taken by surprise by the invasion by the soldiers. He however said that the situation has been brought under control and that no life was lost nor injury sustained during the fracas.
Daily Times Newspaper.