Some hoodlums, suspected to be working for a political
party in Lagos State, have killed five people in the Ajah
area of the state.
Our correspondents learnt that the victims were coming
from a naming ceremony when the men waylaid, and
opened fire on their bus.
The killer gang was also said to have entered the vehicle
and used cutlasses and knives to slit the throats of some
of the occupants.
The deceased were identified as Ganiyu Lawal, aka Ebe;
Idris Kolapo; Samsudeen Osoja, aka Songa; Rafiu, aka
Ralph; and Ladi.
A source said Songa’s head was cut off during the attack
on Wednesday.
PUNCH Metro learnt that five others, who sustained
injuries during the onslaught, escaped by a whisker.
The matter was reported at the Ajiwe police station.
Investigations by PUNCH Metro 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 our correspondents visited Okepopo Street, Lagos
Island, where the deceased had their base, there was
palpable tension in the community.
Residents told PUNCH Metro 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.
Our correspondents saw damaged cartons of soft
drinks, fruit juices and canned malts 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.
Our 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 with PUNCH Metro 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.”


www.punchng.com/metro-plus/lagos-thugs-slaughter-five-after-naming-ceremony/

Cultism things