Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05LAGOS1549
2005-10-05 13:32:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Lagos
Cable title:  

DEADLY SHOOTOUT BETWEEN POLICE AND ARMY ROCKS LAGOS

Tags:  PREL PGOV NI 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

051332Z Oct 05
UNCLAS LAGOS 001549 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W
STATE FOR INR/AA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV NI
SUBJECT: DEADLY SHOOTOUT BETWEEN POLICE AND ARMY ROCKS LAGOS


UNCLAS LAGOS 001549

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF/W
STATE FOR INR/AA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV NI
SUBJECT: DEADLY SHOOTOUT BETWEEN POLICE AND ARMY ROCKS LAGOS



1. At least three bystanders were killed and ten wounded,
when an altercation between police and soldiers turned
violent in the Ojuelegba district of Lagos on October 6.
More than 50 street thugs, known as area boys, joined in the
fray and caused the destruction of at least 40 vehicles and
several local shops, according to press and police sources.
The incident lasted approximately five hours, forcing
businesses in the area to shut down.


2. The ultimate cause of the dispute is still unknown as
many versions exist. Several police authorities reported
that the argument began on a bus in Surulere on the Lagos
mainland. A police officer had boarded the bus for free as a
courtesy of the bus driver, but when the soldier attempted to
do the same, he was rebuffed. Municipal bus drivers
customarily allow one civil servant to board without paying,
but generally ask all others for full fare. The soldier and
the policeman argued over who would get the free fare, and
when the bus reached the police station, the soldier
attempted to continue the argument by going into the police
station, but was barred entry. The soldier then went to the
nearby Abati Barracks to summon reinforcements to force
entry. A firefight ensued and innocent bystanders were
caught in the crossfire.


3. Other sources report that trouble began when military
passengers on the bus instructed the driver to ignore a
police checkpoint; still others claim that a soldier driving
a military vehicle was physically assaulted at a police
checkpoint. According to another version, the soldiers
attacked the police station to free relatives held there.


4. Lagos State Governor Tinubu visited the scene, which he
called "sad," and then convened an emergency State Security
Council meeting, comprised of top members of the military and
law enforcement, to discuss the event and initiate an
investigation.
WHOWE