) The Kubwa Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Abdullahi Bello, on Tuesday, said the hoodlums who looted the NYSC Orientation Camp in Kubwa almost stabbed him while trying to safeguard the facility.
Bello, who made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said he and his men had to retreat to avoid the hoodlums from attacking them.
He said all efforts to talk to them that there was no palliative stored in the camp warehouse fell on deaf hear.
“When they flooded the orientation camp on Saturday, we talked to them and even opened the warehouse for them to see that there was no palliative materials in the store.
“Today, we did the same talking to them but they did not listen. They started throwing stones while some were pulled out knives and whatever.
“They advanced towards the warehouse where items and food stuff meant for the incoming youth corps members were kept. They looted and made away with items, food stuff, equipment and even old mattresses in the camp.
“I was almost stabbed by them,” he said.
The DPO said 20 officers were deployed initially to safeguard the camp but more officers were later reinforced when things were getting out of hand.
“We deployed additional 20 officers, making 40 personnel,” he said.
Bello, who said that his men decided to exercise great caution despite the provisions of the law that allowed police officers to use minimum force in such situation, said it took military intervention to put everything under control.
Bello, who could not confirm that two people were shot dead during the incident, said at least 38 persons were arrested in connection with the looting.
