SOME officials of the Nigeria Immigration Services (NIS) in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Tuesday abducted six men of the State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) in a tussle believed to show supremacy between the two agencies.

Four of the TRACE officers were also injured when the angry immigration officials invaded the premises of the agency in a reprisal attack over an argument that ensued earlier in the day over parking infraction.

Eyewitness told GatewayMail that trouble started in Sapon area of the state capital when a TRACE official arrested

an immigration officer for parking at an inappropriate place, in contravention of the traffic rules.
Within few minutes, the traffic corps and the immigration officer, who was accompanied by a colleague, engaged in hot argument after the traffic official was prevented from removing the number plate of the NIS officer’s Nissan Almera car.
It was further learnt that the immigration officer and his colleague vehemently kicked against the TRACE official’s move, insisting that the car did not obstruct the traffic flow.

The situation, however, later degenerated further when some NIS officers were alleged to have invaded the Abeokuta Zonal Command office of TRACE and descended on four of the officers in sight.
Similarly, still displeased over the earlier altercation, the immigration officers were alleged to have moved round some major parts of Abeokuta and abducted six TRACE officials who were on their scheduled assignment controlling traffic.

According to sources, the action of the NIS officers was to show their displeasure and avenge a claim of assault on their men by the TRACE official who had earlier in the day attempted to arrest an immigration officer, and his colleague.

The Public Relations Officer of TRACE, Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the development, alleged that the immigration officers stormed the agency office and injured four of their men.

He disclosed that six other officers were abducted on duty in their different locations as a reprisal move by the NIS officers.
Also reacting on the issue, the NIS Command Public Relations Officer, Felix Kuti, also confirmed the action of the immigration officials, but said that the traffic officers aggravated the crisis by assaulting two officers of the command.
Kuti said: “Even in family, there is bound to be disagreements, but among the uniformed men, there should be espirit de corp. As a uniformed man, if you see another uniformed man in trouble, you must come to his aid. But when that is not being respected, there is problem.”
He added: “There is something called law of reciprocity. If I am looking for my brother and I cannot locate him, and I know you have taken him, it is possible that I may be tempted to equally take yours. When you give me my own, I give you your own.”