By Christopher Oji
Many people were injured while many others were robbed at Oshodi area of Lagos when Soldiers from the Nigeria Air Force clashed with Motorpark touts and some hoodlums.
Many people believed to be touts were taken away by the Soldiers at Capa Motor Park Mosafejo area of Oshodi.
Trouble started when the Soldiers heard about the death of one of their colleagues who was allegedly murdered on Monday by hoodlums on top of the Oshodi Bridge.
A source told Daily Sun that the personnel of the Nigerian Air Force, was allegedly murdered by hoodlums on Monday; his body was seen on top of the bridge on Tuesday and some government officials who were alerted evacuated the body to the morgue .
Very early morning, Thursday Military personnel stormed the popular Capa Motor Park to question the Chairman on what he knew about the death of the Soldier, but the touts who thought their chairman was being arrested by the Soldiers, started throwing stones, bottles and other cudgels at the soldiers who threw caution to the winds and started shooting sporadically into the air.
The touts were said to have burnt the patrol vehicles belonging to the Soldiers.
It was gathered that there was pandemonium as residents; traders and road users ran for cover. Motorists and their passengers also abandoned their vehicles while many passengers were stranded as no commercial vehicle driver had the courage to pass through the road for fear of the unknown as the Military men had taken over the entire area.
It was gathered further that the Soldiers succeeded in taking unspecified numbers of suspected hoodlums and touts away and some dangerous weapons recovered at the scene.
A witness, Felicia Madu, told Daily Sun that:” The Air Force personnel was on mufti when he ran into a group of hoodlums who were robbing people of their belongings on top of Oshodi bridge . He resisted the hoodlums and was overpowered and killed by the robbers. After killing him, they dumped his remains into a ditch.
“We knew there would be trouble when a team of Soldiers from OP MESA stormed Oshodi today to interrogate the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Chairman. His boys and other hoodlums started throwing stones at the soldiers. That was the cause of today’s crisis.
“In the process of the crisis, hoodlums cashed in on the opportunity and started vandalising and looting properties from stranded passengers and commercial vehicles drivers within the vicinity”.
As at the time of filing this report, relative calm has returned to the scene as a combined team of Military, Police and Para- Military personnel were on the ground to maintain law and order.
Spokesman of Nigerian Army, 9Brigade, Major A.K. Bello, said the Army was not directly involved in the incident, “based on the situation on ground, we had to wade into the crisis and bring the situation under control because of the sensitivity of the environment,”
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the Commissioner of Police Lagos State Command Mr Hakeem Odumosu,has ordered investigations into the incident.
He said: “The Lagos State Police Command was aware of the conflict that occurred at (Capa Park/Mosafejo Osodi) at about 7am. Normalcy has been restored to the area, as the matter is under investigation. We urge Lagosians to go about their lawful businesses in the area and the state in general. No cause for alarm. The CP has ordered that intensive patrol be emplaced in the area.