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Mr. Aitken served in the Royal Navy as a pilot in the Fleet Air arm, from July 1941 until 1946.
He was appointed to the Nigeria Police in February 1951.
On the 28th August, 1953, twenty-five Nigeria Police
and twenty-five Native Administration Police, under the
Command or Mr. Aitken, proceeded to Eruwa village where
resistance to the collection of Capitation Tax had
developed.
On the following day, August 29th, whilst arrests
were being effected, approximately five hundred villagers
suddenly attacked the Police with stones, injuring an
Administrative Officer and most of the police.
Hopelessly outnumbered and surrounded, Mr. Aitken
organised a withdrawal towards a suitable place which he
could hold pending the arrival of reinforcements. With
admirable coolness and resource, he extricated his men,
but the crowd closed in and now began attacking the police
with stones, sticks and even axes. Mr. Aitken was
compelled to open fire. This had a temporary sobering
erfect but almost inmediately afterwards, Dane gun fire
was opened on the Police and Mr. Aitken himself was
wounded.
He continued, however, to conduct the withdrawal
to a successful conclusion.
His courageous and cool conduct was undoubtedly
responsible for averting a grave disaster and for saving
the lives of his men.
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Three British officials were shot and wounded, a demonstrator was killed, and several Nigerian policemen were injured during a riot in West Nigeria today.
The incident occured at Eruwa, a small town near Ibadan, when crowds protesting against tax increases made an attack on the police force. A combined force of native authority police and Nigerian police opened fire on the mob.
The wounded Britons are Mr. J.F. Hayley, senior district officer, Mr. B.K. Cooper, administrative secretary of the Ibadan native authority, and Mr. G. Aitken, assistant superintendent of police.
The situation was later reported quiet.
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