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By: Manoah Kikekon
Nigerian Navy officers have returned to Farasime village, located on the Owode Apa border in Badagry West, Badagry Local Government Area, Lagos State, to meet with community leaders to resolve issues.
This comes after a gun battle in the community earlier today Thursday, which, according to sources, involved Nigerian Navy officers and local youths.
Sources told News Peddlers that navy officers returned to the community on Thursday afternoon to meet with its leaders.
“The navy came back right now to settle with the leaders of the community after the shootout early this morning,” a source said.
According to News Peddlers the confrontation began early Thursday morning, when Nigerian Navy personnel stormed the village in an operation to apprehend smugglers transporting Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, to Cotonou via the Owode Apa border.
The village youths resisted the naval officers' attempts to make arrests, according to a source who was hiding in his home. A gunfight ensued as a result of the naval officers firing in response to this resistance.
With panic evident in his voice, the source said, "Right now, I'm not sure of my safety Farasime village is located in Lagos state's Badagry West, close to the Owode Apa border.
“It is that the Navy that came to arrest people who are smuggling fuel through there to Cotonou and youths are resisting, so the Navy officers are shooting.
“Please, somebody help us. My house is by the roadside.
“I'm not involved in smuggling. I don't do that kind of business. Youths have put a big fire in front of my house to block the road. I'm very scared.”
However, the Nigerian Navy denied the altercation between its officers and the local youths of Farasime Village when SaharaReporters contacted them.
Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, Navy spokesperson told SaharaReporters that there was no shootout but admitted that Naval officers prevented smugglers from smuggling petrol products out of Nigeria through the Owode Apa border on Thursday.
Adams-Aliu said, “There was no shootout at Farasime. The Nigerian Navy maintains an outpost on Tongeji Island, which is near that location, to protect Nigeria's territorial integrity.
“Smugglers were attempting to smuggle petroleum products out of Nigeria and the Nigerian Navy personnel effectively prevented the crime which is an economic sabotage to the nation.”