Pandemonium broke out at the Federal Medical Centre in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital as soldiers and mobile policemen shot sporadically in the air when a disagreement broke out over the corpses of their fallen colleagues.
According to reports, a mobile policeman at about 9:00am shot in the air as a mark of solidarity for the corpse of the fallen colleague he had gone to remove from the hospital.
When the soldiers heard the shot, they accosted the policeman and challenged him for the shooting within an hospital environment. The soldiers were also there to remove the corpses of their colleagues.
The situation quickly deteriorated as the mobile police team allegedly insulted the soldiers.
According to an eye witness, the soldiers proceeded to park their hilux patrol van at the hospital gate to block the exit of the mobile policemen. He said “The soldiers quickly their hilux patrol van to block the mobile policemen at the hospital gate.”
The soldiers also shot in the air as they subsequently disarmed the mobile policeman who had fired the earlier shot. The incident which lasted for over 30 minutes caused tension within the hospital as patients and hospital staff ran for safety.
The situation was however brought under control following intervention by the hospital management and some members of the public.
Modibbo Yau, the spokesman for the Hospital said he could not say what led to the face-off while Taraba Police Spokeman, ASP Joseph Kwaji said he was yet to be briefed on the incident.
