A detachment of soldiers of the 177 Guards Battalion stationed at Keffi, Nasarawa State, reportedly invaded the Toto police Division of the state police command on Saturday, March 6, and whisked away the officer-in-charge of patrol and guards, Inyang Eseme, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).
Scudnews learnt that the soldiers had stormed the police station in Toto town, headquarters of Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, at about 8.pm in search of the Divisional Police Officer, but met ASP Eseme who was the most senior officer in the station and forcefully took him away to their Super Camp at Umaisha, some kilometers away.
The invasion of the station by the military personnel followed the shooting of two soldiers by a police patrol team a day earlier, precisely on Friday, March 5, at Nakuse community, Gadabuke Development Area in Toto local council.
A police officer who craved anonymity said the shooting resulted from an attack on a Safer Highway police patrol team deployed in Nakuse by two persons suspected to be criminals who allegedly attempted to snatch a rifle from a police sergeant identified as Aliyu Mohammed.
He further claimed members of the police patrol team recovered the snatched rifle from the attackers and shot the two suspects on the leg, following which the duo were rushed to the General Hospital at Kwali, for treatment.
However, there was a dramatic turn of events as the police said the two suspected criminals shot on their legs, were later identified as Dantani Bako and Samuel Sambo both of military personnel currently deployed in the North East, but had visited Nakuse where they hail from on valid leave (Pass).
Sources said shooting incident sparked a violent protest by irate youths in the community who attacked the police post in the community and set it ablaze before soldiers stormed the Toto Police station the next day.
Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Adebola Longe, confirmed the incident when contacted on Wednesday, but declined further comments. “I will not speak on that incident because it is not a media affair”, he told a Scudnews reporter on the telephone.
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