Some hoodlums, suspected to be working
for a political party in Lagos State, have killed five people in the
Ajah area of the state.
It was learnt that the
victims were coming from a naming ceremony when the men waylaid, and
opened fire on their bus.
A source said Songa’s head was cut off during the attack on Wednesday. Five others, who sustained injuries during the onslaught, escaped by a whisker. The matter was reported at the Ajiwe police station.
Investigations revealed that the deceased and survivors were working with the Chairman
of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Oyebanji branch, Lagos
Island, Alhaji Mustapha Adekunle (aka Seego).
When correspondents visited Okepopo
Street, Lagos Island, where the deceased had their base, there was
palpable tension in the community. Residents revealed that
the area had been in turmoil as some hoodlums in the area had been
hunting people suspected to be involved in the killings.
Houses belonging to the Olokodana family on Palm Church Street were torched by the miscreants.
Also, a building and a lock-up shop belonging to one Tunde, aka Alabi Yellow, who was alleged to be an informant of the gang, was invaded by the hoodlums who burnt some of the property. Damaged cartons of soft drinks, fruit juices and canned malts were seen on the floor of the shop.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said trouble started on Sunday when Seego and the leader of a rival gang, Tunde (Alabi Yellow), met at a social gathering, where Seego asked Yellow to bow to him.The latter reportedly refused.
It was gathered that Seego ordered his boys to deal with Yellow by breaking a bottle on his head.
The source said, “We have factions and
unions on the Lagos Island and they usually engage one another in
superiority clashes. Two people were killed during the electioneering
period as the political parties polarised them.
“The rivalry was later settled after Ambode won the election. A man, popularly called Seego, later came to the area for a social function. During the event, he sighted Yellow and asked him to bow to him. When the latter refused, he became angry and ordered his boys to deal with him.
“Yellow was beaten and his clothes torn by Songa, who works for Seego.”
Another source, Pepe John, said Yellow left and promised to revenge the assault and disgrace on his person.
He said, “On Wednesday, the wife of one
of the boys in Ajah had a naming ceremony and about 10 guys from Okepopo
went there to party.
“As they left after the party, a group of boys shot at their vehicle. They entered the bus and started slashing their throats.”
A source said the attackers cut off the head of Samsudeen (Songa), who allegedly smashed a bottle on Yellow’s head at a social gathering. He said they took the head away with them, but left the other corpses.
Correspondents were told that one of those hit, Tope Bullet, escaped because the attackers thought he was dead. A few other persons were also said to have escaped.
It was gathered that the survivors returned to their base and reported to their colleagues what befell them.
A source said the victims identified their alleged attackers to include Tunde Yellow, Small Kuramo, Sharon, Abbas, Olokodana, Ade, Ibafo John, Orji Mass, Baba Raji and one Ejo Ilaje. A resident, John Otombo, said more than
100 hoodlums invaded the street on Thursday, searching for the men for
their alleged involvement in the killings.
He said they headed for the Olokodana family house, and set some property there on fire.
He said, “They came to the family house
around 10am. They shot into the air. They didn’t meet anybody in the
house. So, they took some valuables and set them on fire.
“They went to Yellow’s wife’s
shop and brought out all the goods there. They damaged them and went to
the house and set their household furniture and property on fire.”
Traders on Odunfa, Onola, Oyebanji,
Adeniji Adele, Evans, Atiko and adjacent streets were seen packing their
goods and locking up their shops.
A tailor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they lived in fear.
She said, “They said they would come
back and burn down our houses. We are living in fear. We just want the
government to clear all these street gangs.”
A trader, who did not identify herself, blamed security agents for being slack in responding to their distress calls.
“It was after the hoodlums had destroyed
things that the police came today (Thursday). The unfortunate part of
the story is that they started arresting innocent people,” she said.
A tricycle driver, who also did not identify himself, told our correspondents he would not be sleeping in his house.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident.
He, however, said only two people died.
He said, “Armed hoodlums shot at a moving vehicle and two persons were fatally injured, while three others sustained injuries.”
The Lagos State Chairman of the NURTW,
Chief Tajudeen Agbede, said he was aware of the incident, adding that it
did not happen in any motor park.
He said, “The police are already
involved in this case. What I always tell our members is to mind their
public conduct and not bring disgrace to the union. Whenever anything
like this happen outside the motor parks, I choose not to comment.”
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