There was pandemonium in the Akala and Idi-Oro
areas of Mushin, Lagos State, on Tuesday when some hoodlums clashed with
policemen from the Area D Command.
During the mayhem, no fewer than five people,
including a policeman, three residents and a pupil, were reportedly killed.
Our correspondent learnt that trouble started when
a police team raided a shop on Elegba Street, where some hoodlums sold hemp.
Latest Reality Metro gathered that the
hoodlums attacked the policemen with broken bottles and stones in retaliation.
The cops, who retreated, reportedly returned with
reinforcements and engaged the hoodlums in a gun battle.
A witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity,
said the police shot tear gas canisters into two private secondary schools
–Ansarudeen Comprehensive College and Amazing Grace Secondary School – where
some pupils were choked.
A pupil of Amazing Grace, Samuel Okechukwu, who
was asthmatic, reportedly died.
He said, “The police had been raiding Akala and
Idi-Oro for some weeks now and carrying away bags of hemp. The hoodlums believe
that the police resell them. They had been planning to fight back.
“Last night (Monday), a man on Elegba Street took
delivery of hemp worth N7m and the police got information about it. Around
11am, the policemen, led by the Area Commander, Area D Mushin, Akinbayo
Olusoji, headed for the shop and seized the hemp.
“The residents, who had been enraged by previous
raids, mobilised and launched an attack. They threw stones, broken bottles and
other items at the policemen.
“The policemen returned with reinforcements.
Three people were shot dead. They fired two tear gas canisters into Ansarudeen
Comprehensive College on Alhaji Lasisi Street and another one entered into
Amazing Grace Secondary School on Elegba Street. Many of the pupils were
affected. A boy died in Amazing Grace.”
Latest Reality Metro learnt that the
victim, Okechukwu, who was in Junior Secondary School two, was confirmed dead
in a hospital.
Another pupil, who was running home in the
confusion that followed the shootout, was reportedly hit by a vehicle. His leg
was broken.
A source faulted the police for shooting tear gas
into the schools.
“They should have known that at that period (11am),
the pupils would be on break and would be playing on their premises. The boy
that died lived with his parents on Amodu Street, Idi-Oro. He was their only
child,” he added.
Two of the three other victims were identified as
Akeem Mumuni and Ambali Adeyemi.
The police were said to have taken away
Adeyemi’s corpse.
A resident, who did not want to be identified,
said a policeman was killed.
He noted that many passersby were injured during
the mayhem.
The resident, however, said the fight was caused
by alleged police extortion.
“There are black spots in Idi-Oro where the
hoodlums smoke hemp freely. The police collect settlement from them. The police
had gone there two weeks ago and got some settlements. They returned today
(Tuesday) and the boys resisted and that was how the fight started.
“The hoodlums brought out guns and engaged the
police in a shootout. It was like a war. The police had killed two of them
before a cop was seized and stabbed to death. They brought out his intestines
with bottles,” he said.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP
Chike Oti, said he was aware of the incident, adding that the details were
still sketchy.
He promised to call back after getting enough
information. Oti had yet to do so as of press time.
Meanwhile, two traders at the Ladipo
International Spare parts Market, Mushin, lost their lives when suspected cult
members unleashed terror on the traders around 3pm last Tuesday.
The cult members, who were dressed in white
and black, reportedly stormed the market while the traders were transacting
buisness.
Those killed were said to have resisted the cult
members from collecting money they (traders) made from sales that day.
The deceased were identified only as Ndubuisi and
John.
Post A Comment: