Some Nigerian police officers and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have been caught on camera engaging in a fight.
It was gathered that the incident occurred during the week at Elizabeth Estate, Abere in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State.
It was learnt that some policemen on Tuesday stormed the area to arrest a resident but were allegedly stopped by NSCDC operatives.
However, the officers returned on Thursday to attack the civil defence corps members.
In the video, the security operatives are seen exchanging blows and slapping each other.
“Some policemen on Tuesday wanted to arrest someone in the estate without a warrant of arrest but were stopped by the civil defence officers, so they (policemen) came back on Thursday, this time with more men to overpower the civil defence guys,” a resident who witnessed the fight said.
“They injured the guy being slapped by a policeman in mufti very well and later dragged him to police CID in Osogbo and sadly till now, their commandant (NSCDC) hasn’t done or said anything since.”
Calls put across to Yemisi Opalola, police spokesperson in Osun, were not answered.
Watch the video below;
She had yet to reply to a text message sent to her mobile line at the time of filing this report.
There is a history of clashes between security operatives in Nigeria.
In 2023, officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) and prison officials from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) fought on the premises of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, over who would take custody of Godwin Emefiele, a former CBN Governor.
The DSS operatives were seen in a video dragging an official of the NCS out of the court and hitting him.
In 2022, a police officer was beaten to death by soldiers.
The soldiers who were all attached to the Army Ordinance Corps of the 81 Division Nigerian Army based in Ojo, descended on two policemen and badly beat them up, leading to the death of one of them.
The Nigerian Army in 2021 accused police officers of killing and brutalising some of its personnel.
In a letter dated November 23, 2021, to all formations and units, the Chief of Army Staff called on military officers to “forward all recorded incidence of police brutality against personnel of the Nigerian Army.”
The letter exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters was signed by Major General J. A. Ataguba titled, ‘Evaluating Incidences Of Police Brutality Against Personnel Of Nigerian Army.’
“The NA is constitutionally tasked to provide aid to civil authorities when called upon. This responsibility has occasioned conducting joint activities with members of the civil and paramilitary organizations. These joint operations with other security agencies particularly the Nigerian Police (NP) create occasions for the police to equate its hierarchy with the NA and this has often led to friction, especially at the lower levels,” the letter had read.
“This friction has occasionally led to bodily harm and in some cases death to our troops. This is in spite of the fact that the victims have been identified and established to be serving personnel.
“This Dept is therefore conducting an evaluation of these occurrences with a view to establishing the frequency and recommend possible remedial measures to stem the tide.”
