National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Peter Chuks, Asaba
DELTA: A clash between personnel of the Nigeria Air Force and operatives of the Delta State Police Command’s Quick Response Squad (QRS) has raised concerns over inter-agency cooperation in the state.
The incident, which occurred on Tuesday at the Airforce checkpoint in Jeddo, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State, saw Air Force personnel allegedly attacking policemen who had arrested a suspect found in possession of illicit drugs.
According to the Delta State Police Command, the policemen were on routine patrol when they flagged down a Toyota Corolla with registration number AKD-73-FL. However, upon sighting the police, the occupants of the vehicle fled, prompting officers to give chase and arrest a suspect, 25-year-old Ibohama Precious.
The officers reportedly recovered substances suspected to be Indian hemp, Canadian Loud, and other hard drugs.
While transporting the suspect to the police station, the patrol team was stopped at the Air Force checkpoint in Jeddo, where the security operatives allegedly demanded the release of the suspect. When the police officers refused, they were reportedly attacked.
Describing the incident as embarrassing, the spokesperson of the Delta State Police Command, SP Edafe Bright, stated that the matter was being addressed at the highest levels.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, and the Air Force authorities are looking into the incident and putting modalities in place to prevent a recurrence,” he said.
The Delta State Police Command emphasized that it maintains a cordial relationship with the Air Force, Navy, Army, and other security agencies in the state, stressing that such incidents should not overshadow their shared commitment to security and law enforcement.
