Scores Killed as Police Foil Militant's Invasion of Marine Post in Lagos

Scores Killed as Police Foil Militant's Invasion of Marine Post in Lagos

 

Several militants were on Tuesday killed by policemen attached to the Elemoro Marine Police Post, Ajah of the Lagos State Command.

It was gathered that the militants numbering about 50 had stormed the post at the wee hours of Tuesday in an attempt to steal gunboats and other weaponry deployed to back the operations of the police post. 

Given that Tuesday's attack was one of several attempts by the militants to raid the post, the policemen on duty were quite prepared and they successfully repelled them while gunning down several of them.

The militants who had run short of arms and ammunition following the sinking of some of their boats and recovery of their weapons in the wake of the kidnap of pupils at the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, had become desperate.

According to a police source who spoke on anonymity, the militants had invaded the post at the wee hours of the morning in a bid to catch the policemen unawares.

The police source said, "Unknown to them, the police have beefed up intelligence gathering as the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, has for some months now, continuously deployed men and material towards safeguarding the coastlines.

"He got information of their plans and put us on watch. The militants have attacked so many times since the kidnap of the Igbonla students but they have never succeeded.

"So, what we did yesterday was to take cover in case of any eventuality. As suspected, they struck and our men engaged them in a battle. A lot of them were killed.  Some of them escaped with gunshot wounds. They abandoned their boat and we retrieved it.

"We called for reinforcement and the CP came to the place that night with some policemen from Special Anti-Robbery Sqaud (FSARS) and others. As I speak with you, the entire area has been reinforced.

"We are happy that the militants did not succeed and we will not allow them. I cannot say the number of people who died at the moment but they were many," said the source.

Meanwhile, Owoseni when contacted  confirmed there was a failed attempt by militants to invade the police post but declined further comments on the issue.

He said there was an ongoing operation between the police and the navy to keep militants off the waterways, adding that information would be provided in due course.