The civil defence corps private vehicle loaded with jerry cans

Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta

Five persons including a woman were over the weekend injured when officers of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Ogun State Command attacked an MRS filling station located at Isale Igbein area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The Manager of the station, Mrs Iyabo Fakunle and three attendants at the filling station, Oluwole Omitope, Sodunke Olayinka and Alagbe Sefiu were injured in the process.

A taxi driver who simply identified himself as Yomi Olatoye had gun wounds in his left arm and his lower stomach.

While Iyabo Fakunle was injured as she was pushed away with the iron gate of the station, Oluwole suffered a deep cut in his left arm while Alagbe suffered injuries from gun butt with which he was beaten.

A private Astra OPEL dark-blue car with registration number Lagos, EKY 340 AT belonging to one Mutiu Idowu also had its windscreen smashed by the irate  officers.

MRS is one of the very few filling stations selling  petrol at the official rate of N86.50 in Abeokuta and sells the products almost on daily basis since the fuel scarcity started.

It was gathered that the fracas started when officers of the Corps came into the filling station with a Nissan Pathfinder with registration number Ogun, DED 49 AA and a Hilux van, all filled with empty jerry cans. They ordered  the attendants to fill the jerry cans.

Would-be buyers of petrol who  had queued  for hours while some had spent days at the station were angered by the action of the officers. An uproar started.

The Manager pleaded with the Civil defence corps men  to exercise patience  and allow the station attend to other customers who had spent days at the station.

The appeal  did not go down well with the officers who made for the  crowded pump  and   beat people with horse-whips.

Iyabo Fakunle stated that  in the midst of the fracas, she decided to switch off the dispensing machines to allow peace to reign.

Her action appeared to have incensed the  officers more.

Witnesses said they began to shoot sporadicallyand moments after  more  officers  stormed the station with two official vehicles with registration number CD 1048 A01 and CD 150 A01.

The new comers came with dangerous weapons including guns and knives.

They began to shoot to scare away the people around.

Two main gates to the station were also reportedly thrown  open while attendants and other customers were chased with guns and knives.

Attempts to arrest one of the attendants, Sodunke were resisted.

Kareem Olanrewaju, the PRO  of the Command did not pick our calls.