Many people were Wednesday morning feared injured and properties looted after rival cult groups clashed at Ikosi in Ketu, Lagos.
The clash was said to have started on Tuesday night on Ikosi Road, with the factions using guns, cutlasses and bottles without caution.
This is happening barely 48 hours after the state government signed into law, the 21-year jail term for cultists, members of unlawful society.
It was gathered that the violence was a result of control of territory and revenue generation from the Ketu fruit market.
The battle for control of the territory between members of the Aiye and Eiye cult groups has over the years led to deadly clashes in the Ketu and Ikorodu areas of the state.
According to residents, Wednesday’s violence commenced around 6:25 am at Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) park, Ketu Bus Stop as passengers waiting to board buses to work were attacked by armed hoodlums.
The thugs were said to have robbed innocent bystanders including students at knife-point, while others went about setting people’s properties ablaze.
Residents who took to social media to raise alarm about the outbreak of violence lamented that the chaotic situation continued for several hours in front of the Local Government secretariat without intervention from law enforcement agencies.
One Justice Michael said the hoodlums started robbing shops and fighting around 1 am, adding that he left his house around 6 am thinking calm has returned only to discover otherwise.
“I thought the fight might have died down, so I left home by 6 am. When I got to the park to board a bus, we were in the queue when about 10 boys came with cutlasses and daggers robbing us all in the queue.
“Immediately one of them came closer to my own line, the lady at my front refused to drop her phone so she got stabbed. I just ran back and dodged the one behind me. That was how God saved me from today’s attack. I was robbed last week in the area,” he said.
It was gathered that the violence continued till afternoon until policemen and soldiers moved in to restore calm. The security agents were said to have forced road users to raise both hands up before passing, while roadblocks were mounted to de-escalate tension.
Another witness alleged in a short video that a soldier opened fire on a bystander in the process of clearing the area, but the Nigerian Army denied the claim, insisting their operatives did not shoot anyone.
A spokesman for the 81 Division, Major Olaniyi Osoba told The Nation that soldiers responded to a distress call in Ikosi and assisted in restoring normalcy to the area, adding “till our men left there, there was no report of anyone shot.“
Reacting to the violence, police spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi said 15 suspects were arrested and two locally made pistols, live cartridges and assorted charms recovered.
He said the clash was between Eiye, Aiye and Buccaneer cult groups, adding that efforts have been intensified to arrest fleeing culprits.
Adejobi however did not reply to the question on the number of injuries, nor the extent of damage to properties recorded.
He said: “The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, who had deployed policemen including the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and Taskforce to the area to quench the crisis and restore normalcy, has ordered that the suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba for discreet Investigation.
“The Commissioner of Police has however reiterated the command’s commitment to fighting crimes and criminality, especially cultism, in the state. He stated that the command will harness all legitimate means to suppress cultists’ activities in the state.” (The Nation)
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