NO fewer than ten officers of the Nigerian Merchant Navy including their Commandant, Commodore Benson Edema were weekend arrested by people suspected to be naval men and taken to an undisclosed location in Apapa, Lagos after a minor disagreement with officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA). But in a swift reaction, the Director of Naval information, Captain Henry Babalola said the people who claimed to be officers of the Nigerian Merchant Navy are �bunch of criminals operating illegally.� Vanguard learnt that the incident which led to a stampede took place at Mile 11 area around 10am on Saturday.
Eyewitness account said trouble started when officers of the Nigerian Merchant Navy led by their Commandant who were in a filling station at Mile 11, tried to intervene in the arrest of a student Cadet attached to African Maritime Academy and two foreigners by officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority for an undisclosed traffic offence.
It was gathered that officials of LASTMA not only rejected pleas by the Nigerian Merchant Navy men for the release of the people but went ahead to order them out of their premises with threats to unleash hoodlums on them if they failed. Sources said as tempers flared, a naval; personnel attached to LASTMA quickly alerted his base in Apapa.
Reports said two lorry loads of Naval personnel arrived and pounced on both the Officers of the Nigerian Merchant Navy, the student cadet and the foreigners. They were later driven to an unknown destination in Apapa where sources said they were detained. As at 5pm yesterday, Vanguard gathered that the Merchant Navy Commandant, his officers, the student cadet and the foreigners were still in detention.