Residents of Oremeji in the Shasha area of Alimosho Local Government, Lagos State, were thrown into confusion and fear after a Nigerian Air Force officer was stabbed during a scuffle involving local street boys.
Community members who spoke with our correspondent during a visit to the area on Saturday said tensions escalated after a confrontation involving the officer, who was said to be out of uniform at the time.
The incident occurred on Sunday, November 9, when the officer engaged in a dispute with some boys playing football on Oremeji Street.
According to residents, the altercation began after the ball reportedly hit him.
A resident known simply as Baba explained, “The ball struck him while the boys were playing. He got angry, seized the ball, and beat the boy who kicked it. People begged him to calm down, but he punched the boy again. Others stepped in to stop him from doing more damage.”
He added that the officer, noticing a crowd forming, allegedly pulled a knife from his pocket, stabbed the ball, and threatened anyone who attempted to restrain him. In the process, some of the boys trying to calm him reportedly sustained injuries.
“A fight broke out, and one of the boys overpowered him and used the knife to stab him. At that point, nobody knew he was a military officer. They rushed him to the hospital, and later we heard he didn’t survive,” he said.
Another resident, Sola, said Air Force personnel from the Shasha base stormed the community shortly after the incident, assaulting residents while searching for the boy involved and his family.
“People have been scared ever since. They came back the next day and the day after, beating people and picking some up,” he said. “Those responsible had already fled, yet innocent people were being harassed.”
Eniola, another resident, said many shops now close earlier than usual due to fear of reprisal attacks. “The tension spread towards Orisumbare. When they returned the second and third day, they started beating people again. Those who stabbed him had already left the community,” she added.
Another account from Esther Komolafe revealed that the officers reportedly fired tear gas during one of the reprisals. “We were driving when we saw people running. As we approached, we realised tear gas had been fired. Since then, we avoid that route once it’s evening.”
However, contradicting widespread rumours that the officer had died, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed on Monday that the Air Force officer survived.
“There was a fight between some individuals, and it was later discovered that the injured person was an Air Force officer. He was only injured; nobody died,” Adebisi said.
She added that although the matter was not reported to the police station, the Divisional Police Officer visited the scene and later confirmed that the officer had received treatment.
Responding to allegations of harassment by Air Force personnel, Adebisi said, “The claim that officers have been disturbing residents is not true. When some of them attempted to retaliate last Wednesday, the DPO, alongside community leaders, intervened. The matter was resolved, and the area has been peaceful since then.”
Efforts to reach the Nigerian Air Force spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, were unsuccessful as calls and WhatsApp messages to his phone were not answered at the time of filing this report.
