For three days residents of Ajegunle, popularly known as AJ City, did not know peace following a violent clash between hoodlums over territorial control in Apapa area of Lagos State, western Nigeria.
Many people sustained injuries following the clash between some hoodlums who attacked one another as well as other residents with cutlasses, bottles, and other weapons.
The incident which started at Boundary bus stop in Boundary market spread to other areas such as Layeni, Agbo Malu and Ojo road.
Traders and customers had to scamper for safety and some unlucky traders who did not shut their shops on time are biting their fingers as the hoodlums looted the shops. The cause of the fight had mainly to do with territorial control. It was learnt that some touts invaded the area to collect some tolls from motorists and motorcycle operators in the area.
Tout who were already on ground resisted and it resulted in fracas that left many people injured.
A man who identified himself as Jimi Adesanya showed our reporter his injured hand following an attack by one of the hoodlums.
He said he did not know why they were fighting but the people in the area are used to that kind of fight.
Adesanya said, “this set of touts are not afraid of the police because there were policemen, APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier) belonging to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the police command and other patrol vehicles combing the area, yet, the miscreants were still doing what they were doing.”
A Police Inspector serving at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja, disclosed that before the fight could escalate, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ajegunle Police Station, CSP Usman Aminu alerted Area ‘B’ Apapa Commander, ACP Julius Okoro Alawari, who swiftly deployed policemen from his command and the other seven divisions under it to the scene.
Alawari was said to have also called the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, and briefed him about the situation. Owoseni in turn sent more RRS teams and FSARS, Ikeja, to the scene. The policemen were said to have fired sporadically in the air to scare away the hoodlums.
When our PM News Reporter visited the scene, normalcy had returned. Policemen from Ajegunle police station, FSARS and RRS were still at the scene.
Four RRS vehicles apart from the APC belonging to RRS were also at the scene. The presence of many security personnel has instilled fear in the residents who are cautious of their movement in the area.
Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos could not be reached when contacted on phone.
-PMN
