Unprovoked Attack on Our Men By Air Force Most Embarrassing, Says Delta CP

•We’ll discipline erring personnel, NAF vows

Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba and Linus Aleke in Abuja

Delta State Commissioner of Police, Abariwonda Olufemi, has decried what he termed as unwarranted and embarrassing attack on a team of policemen by Air Force personnel deployed in Jeddo near Warri, Delta State.

But the Nigerian Air Force has said its men involved in brutalising police officers in Warri, were currently undergoing disciplinary procedures in accordance with military regulations.

Acknowledging the unsightly free-for-all by armed Air Force and police operatives, whose video clips had since gone viral, CP Olufemi accused the Nigerian Air Force officers of initiating the nationally embarrassing duel after allegedly attempting to obstruct the policemen who were on official and lawful duty in the area.

Specifically, he alleged that the Nigerian Air Force personnel launched the unprovoked attack on the policemen, at about 5pm on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 because the policemen resisted the attempt by to get them to release a certain criminal suspect with quantities of suspected illegal substances, including “hard drugs”.

A statement issued by the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Bright Edafe, a superintendent of police (SP), gave detailed account of the ugly incident, and appealed to national security authorities to forestall a reoccurrence.

He attached  pictures of the fight between the policemen and Air Force personnel as well as the suspected illegal substances allegedly found on the suspect, which led to the arrest by the police.

“The Delta State Police Command is aware of the embarrassing situation between policemen attached to the Quick Response Squad of the Command and some Air Force personnel attached to Airforce Base Jeddo in Okpe Local Government Area where the personnel of Nigeria Airforce, without any provocation, attacked the policemen who were performing their lawful duty.

“On 11th February, 2025, at about 17:00 hours (5pm local time), operatives of Quick Response Squad (QRS) while on crime-prevention patrol flagged down a Toyota Corolla car with Registration Number AKD-73-FL.

“But the occupants of the vehicle on sighting the police took to their heels, which prompted the policemen to go after them and arrested one of the suspects, identified as Ibohama Precious, aged 25 years, and recovered some weed suspected to be Indian hemp, Canadian loud and other hard drugs.

“While the policemen were on their way to the station along with the suspect and exhibit, upon getting to the Airforce checkpoint at Jeddo, they were stopped by the Airforce personnel and were told that they wouldn’t be allowed to proceed until they released the suspects they were taking to the station, which the policemen vehemently resisted; and, subsequently, the Airforce personnel attacked the policemen without justification,” the statement stated.

Reacting, NAF in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa, said the incident had been addressed.

“The attention of the Nigerian Air Force  has been drawn to a video circulating on social and other media, depicting an altercation between some NAF personnel and police officers in Warri, Delta State, on Tuesday, 11 February 2025.

“The NAF wishes to state that the incident has been decisively addressed,” Akinboyewa said.

He disclosed that the Commander of the concerned NAF unit had engaged with the relevant police authorities in Delta State to resolve the matter with a view to enhancing inter-agency understanding.

He revealed that the injured police officers had received the necessary medical attention, while the NAF personnel involved were currently undergoing disciplinary procedures in accordance with military regulations.

According to him, as a professional and disciplined force, the NAF remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of conduct and fostering harmonious relationships with sister agencies in the collective pursuit of national security and public safety.

He said appropriate measures were being taken to prevent any recurrence of such incidents as recently witnessed in Warri, while calling for the continued support and understanding of the public.