Last Monday’s celebration of Eid-El-Maulud, which marks the birth of Prophet Mohammed, did not go down completely peaceful in some parts Lagos, as fighting erupted between street urchins at Jibowu-Fadeyi area of the state who engaged themselves in a bloody fracas over a yet-to -determined circumstance. At the end of the mayhem that accompanied the gang war, over 30 persons were reportedly injured while scores of vehicles were damaged.

Looting galore
The clash tagged, ‘the most devastating in that part of the state this year’, entered it’s second day Tuesday, forcing residents to flee their homes over fear of being attacked by the warring hoodlums. Shops and business outlets around Jibowu and Fadeyi axis at the ever-busy Ikorodu Road were also shut down on the better part of yesterday as hoodlums from Lawai Street, Jibowu invaded Fadeyi axis of the road.

Motorists plying the route both on Monday evening when the violence erupted and Tuesday morning, were not spared as they were ordered out of their vehicles and robbed when the attackers accosted them in a frantic gridlock at Fadeyi Bus stop.

The fighting extended to adjoining streets in the area as residents of both Ogunjobi, Adewusi, Ereko streets and parts of the railway line were attacked when the hoodlums unleashed terror on them. Shops along these streets were reportedly attacked and looted as the fighting raged.

Vehicles parked along these streets had their windscreens shattered while a building at Kamani Street was set on fire. It took the intervention of men of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, from Jibowu Bus-Stop, and policemen from Alaka police station to restore calm in the area, Monday evening.

Residents fight back
Crime alert gathered that yesterday, while the hoodlums were spoiling for another round of war, residents of the streets rose to fight back.   They were said to have blocked all roads leading to their streets from both the railway line and Ikorodu, preventing the invaders from gaining entry.  Eyewitnesses told Crime Alert that the Monday evening clash around Fadeyi was very bloody and devastating, as the attackers took on residents of the area, brutalizing and looting their property.


, One of the affected properties
One of the witnesses said,  “ we don’t know what instigated these  attacks  at first, but when they entered our streets, we had no other option than to fight them back.”  He continued, “before they entered our streets, we sighted them across the road harassing people with their fire arms.   They carried their onslaught to Fadeyi end  of Ikorodu road and  shot at people indiscriminately.

Some  motorists who could not leave the scene  quickly were attacked and robbed.  And some of them had their vehicles damaged. When they were done with their terror, they entered our area and started harassing people.   They attacked shops and market places and looted valuables  from traders.   They also injured a lot of people.  Since we were not armed as they were, we could not fend off  their attacks.  We were forced to call the police to our aid.  They had a field day and ravaged lots of property in our area.

“While the fighting continued across Ogunjobi, Adewusi and Ereko Streets, some other armed hoodlums attacked business outlets along Ikorodu Road.   Popular filling stations situated between Fadeyi and Jibowu were also attacked by these hoodlums, who were in their hundreds.  They also robbed fuel attendants and their customers of their cash and valuables.

A popular eatery was also attacked  but the attackers were unable to gain entry due to the heavy metal protector at the doors.   A staff  of the eatery, Olaniyi Oladebo, told Crime Alert that the miscreants succeeded in destroying the glasses on their doors and windows but they could not gain entry due to a metal protector at the door.

“we hurriedly locked our doors when we saw the hoodlums, armed with dangerous weapons, rampaging and ferociously coming for the kill.  We hurriedly locked our doors when we heard gun shots coming from different directions.    And some hoodlums decided to take advantage of the situation to rob our eatery but they were shocked they couldn’t get in.   We have metal protector and we quickly rolled them down.   When they discovered they could not get in, they decided to smash the glass on the door and on the window. They, however, could not destroy that on the window because it was double.”

The genesis
Meanwhile, the lingering crisis between hoodlums in Fadeyi and their counter parts in Jibowu  over  revenue collection from business outlets across Ikorodu road, may have been a major  factor fueling the crisis in that part of the state.  Investigations by Crime Alert revealed that hoodlums controlling areas where these business outlets are situated have been struggling to control the revenue collections.  This, they said, may have caused the rivalry between those at Jibowu and their counter parts in Fadeyi.

A trader who hurried closed his shop, Monday evening, when the clash ensued told Crime Alert,“most    of the fracas  in this area is caused mainly by revenue collection from business outlets along these roads. The outlets constitute,  those dealing on Plaster of Paris (POP),  transportation companies, electronic shops and people selling rugs.   And these boys collects money from us each time we import a container.

The control of these revenue has being the major issue.  Over the past 2 years, the boys at Jibowu have been collecting these fees but recently, those at Fadeyi have asked them to collect from their area and allow them collect in their own area. This request may have been fueling the unrest in this area.

On the spot assessment
When Crime Alert visited the area yesterday afternoon,  vehicular movements along Jibowu-Fadeyi axis of Ikorodu Road were interrupted.  Shops along the routes also shut.  A trader  who simply identified himself as, Chukwudi said “ we have to lock our shops because the fighting is still on and customers are not coming in, they are all scared that they will be attacked.”

Some residents of  Brownie Street were also seen fleeing their homes after a  Rav 4 Toyota jeep parked along the street and a kiosk was set ablaze by three armed men who attacked the area from Lawani Street.  But Ogunjobi, Adewusi and  Ereko Streets, which took the major heat Monday evening, was mostly deserted.

Shops and doors to residential buildings were shut completely.  Few people were seen only at the top floor of their building, viewing the street. At the railway end of  Ogunjobi, Adewusi and  Ereko streets,  young boys were seen gathered at the entrance of every street. They told Crime Alert that they are there to prevent a re-occurrence of what happened the previous evening.

Sikiru Ojo, a resident of  Ereko street stated that some of the boys manning the  entrance to their streets are not touts, rather they are out to protect their street from invaders .  He said “what happened last night was barbaric and we don’t have to allow it  happen a gain”.



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/02/war-rages-at-jibowufadeyi-as-terror-gangs-unleash-mayhem/

this war has bn going on for a long time now. The govt is not doing anything about it.I heard dt they are thugs to a popular politician. If you arrest them,the politician will release them.Its only d army dt can stop them.

I am very sure Eko Ile was and still is the gang leader.


Na only for Lagos state agbero dey get Govt. backing!

BlackPikiN:

I am very sure Eko Ile was and still is the gang leader.


Na only for Lagos state agbero dey get Govt. backing!