A confrontation between personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and officers of the Quick Response Squad (QRS) of the Delta State Police Command has sparked concern over inter-agency relations in the State.
The clash occurred on Tuesday around 5pm at the Air Force checkpoint in Jeddo, Okpe Local Government Area of the State after Police officers arrested a suspect found in possession of illicit drugs.
According to a statement by the Delta State Police Command’s PRO, Edafe Bright, the incident began when QRS operatives flagged down a Toyota Corolla with registration number AKD-73-FL during a routine patrol.
Upon sighting the officers, the occupants fled, prompting a chase that led to the arrest of 25-year-old Ibohama Precious.
A search reportedly uncovered substances suspected to be marijuana, Canadian loud, and other hard drugs.
However, while transporting the suspect to the Police station, the officers were stopped at the Air Force checkpoint, where NAF personnel allegedly insisted that they release the suspect. When the Police refused, an altercation ensued, leading to an attack on the officers.
In response, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, described the incident as “embarrassing” and assured that investigations were underway in collaboration with the Air Force authorities to prevent a recurrence.
The statement reads in part, “The Command is aware of the embarrassing situation between Policemen attached to the Quick Response Squad of the Command and some Airforce 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 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 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 carrying which the policemen vehemently resisted and subsequently, the Airforce personnel attacked the Policemen without justification.
“The Delta State Police command under the leadership of CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, the Nigeria Airforce, 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,” the statement added.