No fewer than three people were killed while others were injured on Thursday and Friday after suspected cult members invaded Mushin, Lagos State, and unleashed mayhem on the residents.
Our correspondent, who visited the area on Sunday, reported gun battle between some youths and policemen along Ayetoro Railway Line, while vehicles parked by St Paul’s Anglican Church were vandalised.
It was learnt that the Friday killing was as a result of a long-standing feud between some youths in Fadeyi area on one hand and Mushin on the other.
According to eyewitnesses, the assailants, who were said to have come from Ereko Street, Fadeyi, were about 20 in number.
An eyewitness, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said the assailants attacked the area about three times between Thursday and Friday.
He said the first attack took place at a naming ceremony organised by a Keke NAPEP chairman in the area simply known as Gaddafi.
He said, “The man known as Gaddafi had a little party on Alhaji Ota Street to mark his child’s naming ceremony and we were also watching a football match. When it was about 9.30pm, we started hearing gunshots.
“We saw about four guys, some of whom we know as Lanre Pumping and Monsuru 50 cent, wielding pump-action rifles and were shooting at us. In the process, one of our friends, Kazeem, was shot in the private part while another guy was shot in the head while a man, identified as Yinka was shot in the back. We all ran for cover until the shooting stopped.”
The eyewitness said after two hours, the assailants returned and killed two people in the area, adding that over five others were hit by stray bullets.
He said, “At about 12.30am, some guys in a red Toyota Camry, started shooting around Alhaji Ota Bus Stop, along Agege Motor Road. Most of the people who were hit were commercial bus drivers who had just closed for the day.
“As people were running to avoid being hit, about four other guys from nowhere brought out AK-47 rifles and started shooting at those running away. One bus conductor, who was standing nearby was pinned to the ground and shot repeatedly until he died.”
It was learnt that policemen, led by the Area D Commander, Omololu Bishi, arrived the area but the hoodlums had escaped.
It was learnt that angry youths held unto the corpses and refused to allow the police to take them away.
An eyewitness, Ayotunde Adegbokun, said the area commander was able to appeal to the residents to release the corpses which were later deposited at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Mortuary.
“The area commander appealed to us and we later released the corpses. He rushed about five victims to Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, where he also deposited about N120,000 for the treatment of the victims,” he said.
A man, who identified himself as the guardian of one of the surviving victims, Matthew Idowu, said Idowu was shot over 12 times.
He said, “He (Idowu) is my nephew and he is a bus driver. His mother died last month. We had just buried his mother when we heard that he was shot after closing from work. He had a surgical operation and seven bullets have been extracted from his body, including his head.
“We are transferring him to Osun State where he will receive further treatment.”
Meanwhile, residents have urged the state police command to beef up security as violence had resurfaced in the area.
A landlord on Alhaji Lasisi Street, Adeshina Adegbaike, told PUNCH Metro that the violence started after the police withdrew their men from the area.
He said, “We are calling on the commissioner of police to return the armoured tanks which were stationed here before. These hoodlums are the same ones that were disturbing us last year.”
As of the time our correspondent left the area around 4.30pm on Sunday, the gun battle between youths from Ereko and policemen along Ayetoro Railway Line was still on.
Several youths also sustained injuries in Somolu area of the state on Saturday after hoodlums clashed at a naming ceremony in Akanni Street.
A resident, Olaolu Famous, said it took the intervention of men of the Rapid Response Squad to restore normalcy to the area.
“We called on Alade Police Division but they did not respond. It was after we called the 767 that RRS men came to our aid,” he said.
When contacted on the telephone, the spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, confirmed the violence in Mushin, but she said only one person was killed.
She said, “Arrest have been made and police have beefed up security in the area.”
