Pandemonium as Police operatives clash with Military personnel over Suspect

Officers pursuing a suspected internet fraudster battled with Nigerian Air Force soldiers in the Jeddo hamlet, which is in Delta State’s Okpe Local Government Area, in a spectacular altercation.

According to reports, the police officers, dressed in plain clothes and without a police-branded vehicle, attempted to arrest the suspected fraudster, commonly known as a “Yahoo boy.” However, the suspect, fearing abduction or robbery, fled the scene in panic, leaving his vehicle behind.

He then sought refuge at a nearby Air Force checkpoint, alerting the personnel to the situation.

The Air Force quickly sprang into action, blocking the road and intercepting the police operatives as they were in the process of towing the suspect’s vehicle.

Tensions flared as the Air Force personnel demanded that the police officers identify themselves. When the police complied, the Air Force personnel remained unsatisfied and insisted that the fraudster would not be handed over, escalating the situation.

A heated argument ensued between the two groups, and the standoff soon turned violent, with sporadic gunfire exchanged in the area. Some of the police officers were injured during the altercation, and the situation seemed to be spiraling out of control.

The conflict was eventually defused when the Commander of the Nigerian Air Force intervened and took immediate steps to resolve the standoff.

The injured officers were promptly transported to an Air Force clinic for treatment.

In response to the clash, the Delta State Police Command, led by Commissioner of Police Olufemi Abaniwonda, issued a statement confirming the incident.

The statement, released through Police Public Relations Officer SP Bright Edafe, assured the public that investigations were underway into the circumstances surrounding the altercation.

The Police image maker said, “The 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 Air Force base Jeddo in Okpe Local government Area where the personnel of Nigeria Air Force without any provocation attacked the policemen who were performing their lawful duty.
“On 11/2/2025, at about 1700 hours, operatives of Quick Response Squad (QRS) while on crime prevention patrol flagged down a Toyota Corolla car with reg. no. 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 25yrs 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 alongside the suspect and exhibit, upon getting to the Air Force checkpoint at Jeddo, they were stopped by the Air Force personnel and were told that they wouldn’t be allowed to proceed until they released the suspects they were carrying which the policemen vehemently resisted and subsequently, the Air Force personnel attacked the Policemen without justification.

“The Delta State Police command under the leadership of CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, the Nigeria Air Force, Navy, Army and other security agencies in the state have a cordial working relationship worthy of emulation and the incident is indeed an embarrassing one.
“The Commissioner of Police Delta State CP Olufemi Abaniwonda and Airforce authorities are looking into the ugly incident and putting all modalities in place to forestall future occurrence of this embarrassing situation.”