A yet-to-be-identified policeman and an Airforce officer allegedly engaged in a brawl in Ilọrin, Kwara State.
The incident, it was gathered, occurred over the weekend.
According to a witness, trouble started when a commercial tricycle operator carrying an Airforce officer and other passengers was stopped by officers of the Kwara State Traffic Management Authority (KWATMA), along with police officers at the Yoruba Road Market junction, for plying the Ahmadu Bello Way route against an existing ban.
“An attempt by the Airforce officer to plead on the tricycle operator’s behalf was rebuffed and in the process, the duo had a disagreement.
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“The latter said the police officer should have accorded him respect as a force man. But during the argument, the policeman slapped the Airforce officer who alighted and beat up the policeman before he was arrested and taken to the police headquarters, a stone throw from where the incident happened.
“The situation later degenerated when some Air Force personnel joined their colleagues, leading to the firing of teargas by the police,” another witness said.
He, however, added that the matter was later resolved.
An uploaded Facebook video after the incident showed some police officers with rifles patrolling the road while the incident lasted. Cars were also stopped.
A senior police officer, who craved anonymity, said the issue almost disrupted the passing out ceremony for 587 constables when news of the incident filtered into the venue several miles away.
Speaking with our correspondent on Tuesday, the police spokeswoman in the state, SP Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed the incident, adding that the heads of the two agencies met and resolved the issue amicably.
“It was just a minor issue. But it has been resolved following a meeting between the heads of the two agencies,” she noted.