Four persons were slain today over an argument that allegedly snowballed into communal strife at Power Line Bus Stop, Ikola, in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
A resident who preferred to stay anonymous in print said the argument was said to have been caused by a clash between a northerner and a man presumed to be a cult group leader, writes The PUNCH.
“For now all I know is that a Northerner stabbed a former leader of a cult group,” a community source claimed. This incident set off a riot, and policemen from the Meiran Division had to summon reinforcement.
“I can confirm that one person has been confirmed dead with reports of about three more dead.
The Permanent Secretary of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed the event in a statement today, saying that four individuals died in the scuffle.
Several other persons also got varying degrees of injuries during the incident, he further noted.
The agency received a distress call on the fire outbreak in the region at 1:52 pm and despatched its response team which arrived at the scene around 25 minutes later, Oke-Osanyintolu said.
Initial observation and contact with residents at the scene suggests the incident was preceded by a disagreement that evolved into communal disturbance.
The organization stated four adult males died and several others were injured to varying degrees. “Unfortunately.
“Several makeshift structures were torched in the incident while injured victims received emergency medical support from the Agbado Oke-Odo Ambulance Service, the Nigerian Red Cross Society and other health responders,” he said.
The fire was then brought under control by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service which carried out dampening down to avoid further spread, the PS stated.
Oke-Osanyintolu stated a combined security operation of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps was activated to restore order and protect lives and property. Uncovering African Heritage
He said the Chairman of Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area was also on ground to assist in conjunction with community leaders.
Normalcy, the emergency agency stated, has been restored in Ikola and her adjacent areas but security forces were still deployed to avoid further breach of the public order.
The PS called upon the locals to maintain calm, refrain from revenge attacks and not to distribute unsubstantiated information that may heighten tension.
He said a complete inquiry had been launched to determine the immediate and remote causes of the disaster, adding that anyone found accountable would be brought to book.
Oke-Osanyintolu complimented the emergency and security agencies, the community leaders and inhabitants for their responsiveness and collaboration.
Earlier news had it that 18 individuals were detained in March by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command over a violent altercation in Ilemba Hausa village in Ojo area of Lagos.
A video that has gone viral on social media caught the conflict which involving youths in the neighbourhood, with groups of young men throwing deadly objects at each other as the situation deteriorated.
The Command’s spokesman, Adebisi Abimbola said the accused were apprehended after the event.
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