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By Christopher Oji
Two people were feared killed while many injured during a fight between supporters of two monarchs in the Ojo area of Lagos State.
The youths, who were armed with dangerous weapons, unleashed terror on residents and commuters at Otto-Awori and Ijanikin Communities in the Local Government Area (LGA).
Six people have so far been arrested in connection with the attack, while policemen from the State Anti-Crime outfit, the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) have been deployed to the scene, at the instance of the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi.
Daily Sun gathered that some urchins, who are also members of different cult groups, used the opportunity to attack one another in a free for all.
Traders at the popular Vespa Market, in Ijanikin, hastily closed shops as some of the hoodlums started breaking into shops to loot. The hoodlums snatched phones and other valuables from travellers on the Mile 2-Badagry Expressway.
It was gathered that they also blocked the Badagry expressway, thereby grounding vehicular movement in the axis. A witness, Manual Eze, said that violence broke out following disagreements between two monarchs in the area.
“I learnt that one of the monarchs was planning his 15th anniversary, which irked supporters of his rival. The monarch’s rival started singing songs which infuriated the celebrant’s supporters and they started attacking one another. Two people were killed and many injured. The two bodies were those of some cult guys.
Another witness, Wasiu Lambe, said that part of the problem was an alleged assault on an Awori native by a masquerade participating in the celebration.
“To protest the assault on the native, hoodlums wielding dane guns, machetes, charms and other dangerous objects were said to have ordered vehicles to turn back. Motorists who attempted to resist them were beaten up and their vehicles vandalised,” the witness said.
He claimed that policemen attached to Ijanikin Division, located not far from the violent spot, could not contain the situation and retreated into their station.
Meanwhile, residents have protested the assault meted on Chima Emmanuel by operatives attached to Ijanikin Division. Emmanuel, it was gathered, was attacked Wednesday evening and left for dead at Iyana-Era Bus Stop.
He was said to have been on a bike when a policeman used a big stick to hit his head following disagreement between the cop and the commercial rider who carried him.
Trouble was said to have started after the rider refused to give the policeman the usual money for plying the expressway. Out of annoyance, the cop, it was gathered, lifted the stick to hit the rider, but he dodged it and it landed on Emmanuel.
Six suspects have been arrested in respect to the attack on motorists and traders, while reinforcements from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) have been deployed to restore normalcy.
Lagos State Police spokesman, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said investigation was ongoing in respect to the assault on Emmanuel.
On the violence, he said: “We are fully aware of the ongoing trouble at the Ijanikin area of Lagos, while officers and men of Ijanikin Division are fully on ground, reinforcement has been dispatched. Meanwhile, the road has since been reopened. We are closely monitoring the situation.”
