A violent clash between residents of Oto-Awori and Ijanikin communities in Lagos has been linked to recurring attacks by suspected hoodlums, a development that culminated in the death of Akinyemi Omo Akin, a student of the Lagos State University of Education, NGGOSSIPS Metro learnt on Monday.
The clash, which reportedly began around 2am on Saturday, claimed Omo Akin’s life, while at least seven other residents sustained varying degrees of injuries. The violence also disrupted traffic along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway, as youths allegedly blocked the road before security operatives arrived.
A community leader in Oto-Awori, identified simply as Adedeji, told NGGOSSIPS Metro in a telephone interview on Monday that the crisis was the culmination of repeated attacks allegedly carried out by hoodlums from neighbouring Ijanikin.
“What led to the Saturday problem started in January. Some hoodlums suspected to be from Ijanikin stormed the Oto community, broke into shops and looted goods,” he said.
“When the community and the police intervened, most of the stolen items were recovered in Ijanikin. Then in February, the same hoodlums invaded again and were accused of sexually assaulting a woman.”
Adedeji said community leaders had made several efforts to maintain peace but claimed the attacks persisted.
“These boys did not stop despite our peace efforts. They invaded again in the middle of the night, destroying shops and looting. That was when some youths in Oto decided to chase them away,” he added.
He also alleged bias by security operatives during previous interventions.
“The Saturday incident was frightening. There was shooting and tear gas everywhere. A pregnant woman was reportedly shot and a young boy affected by tear gas.
“At least seven people were injured aside from those killed,” he said.
However, the General Secretary of the Ijanikin Youth Association, Sanni Oluwasegun, denied the allegations, insisting that residents of Ijanikin were also victims.
“Some of our people were injured as well,” Oluwasegun said in a telephone interview.
“They started shooting when people arrived at the scene. Even before the police came, the expressway had been blocked and objects were being thrown at youths in Ijanikin,” he added.
He alleged that the attacks were initiated by youths from Oto-Awori.
“For some time now, people from Oto-Awori have been invading our community at night to attack and loot. That has been the pattern. On Saturday, when they attacked around 2am, we mobilised our youths to defend ourselves and called the police,” he said.
Oluwasegun added that efforts were ongoing to restore calm between both communities.
“Peace has returned, and we are reaching out to youths in Oto-Awori to ensure that calm is sustained,” he said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, said in a statement on Saturday that suspects had been arrested and were cooperating with investigators.
“Massive deployment of police personnel has been carried out to sustain peace and forestall any further breakdown of law and order,” the statement said.
The police added that preliminary reports indicated that armed groups from both communities engaged in a gun duel before officers arrived.
“Before police intervention, both sides had reportedly mobilised cultists who were shooting. The victim may have been hit during the exchange,” the statement added.
A violent clash between residents of Oto-Awori and Ijanikin communities in Lagos has been linked to recurring attacks by suspected hoodlums, a development that culminated in the death of Akinyemi Omo Akin, a student of the Lagos State University of Education, NGGOSSIPS Metro learnt on Monday.
The clash, which reportedly began around 2am on Saturday, claimed Omo Akin’s life, while at least seven other residents sustained varying degrees of injuries. The violence also disrupted traffic along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway, as youths allegedly blocked the road before security operatives arrived.
A community leader in Oto-Awori, identified simply as Adedeji, told NGGOSSIPS Metro in a telephone interview on Monday that the crisis was the culmination of repeated attacks allegedly carried out by hoodlums from neighbouring Ijanikin.
“What led to the Saturday problem started in January. Some hoodlums suspected to be from Ijanikin stormed the Oto community, broke into shops and looted goods,” he said.
“When the community and the police intervened, most of the stolen items were recovered in Ijanikin. Then in February, the same hoodlums invaded again and were accused of sexually assaulting a woman.”
Adedeji said community leaders had made several efforts to maintain peace but claimed the attacks persisted.
“These boys did not stop despite our peace efforts. They invaded again in the middle of the night, destroying shops and looting. That was when some youths in Oto decided to chase them away,” he added.
He also alleged bias by security operatives during previous interventions.
“The Saturday incident was frightening. There was shooting and tear gas everywhere. A pregnant woman was reportedly shot and a young boy affected by tear gas.
“At least seven people were injured aside from those killed,” he said.
However, the General Secretary of the Ijanikin Youth Association, Sanni Oluwasegun, denied the allegations, insisting that residents of Ijanikin were also victims.
“Some of our people were injured as well,” Oluwasegun said in a telephone interview.
“They started shooting when people arrived at the scene. Even before the police came, the expressway had been blocked and objects were being thrown at youths in Ijanikin,” he added.
He alleged that the attacks were initiated by youths from Oto-Awori.
“For some time now, people from Oto-Awori have been invading our community at night to attack and loot. That has been the pattern. On Saturday, when they attacked around 2am, we mobilised our youths to defend ourselves and called the police,” he said.
Oluwasegun added that efforts were ongoing to restore calm between both communities.
“Peace has returned, and we are reaching out to youths in Oto-Awori to ensure that calm is sustained,” he said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, said in a statement on Saturday that suspects had been arrested and were cooperating with investigators.
“Massive deployment of police personnel has been carried out to sustain peace and forestall any further breakdown of law and order,” the statement said.
The police added that preliminary reports indicated that armed groups from both communities engaged in a gun duel before officers arrived.
“Before police intervention, both sides had reportedly mobilised cultists who were shooting. The victim may have been hit during the exchange,” the statement added.
A violent clash between residents of Oto-Awori and Ijanikin communities in Lagos has been linked to recurring attacks by suspected hoodlums, a development that culminated in the death of Akinyemi Omo Akin, a student of the Lagos State University of Education, NGGOSSIPS Metro learnt on Monday.
The clash, which reportedly began around 2am on Saturday, claimed Omo Akin’s life, while at least seven other residents sustained varying degrees of injuries. The violence also disrupted traffic along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway, as youths allegedly blocked the road before security operatives arrived.
A community leader in Oto-Awori, identified simply as Adedeji, told NGGOSSIPS Metro in a telephone interview on Monday that the crisis was the culmination of repeated attacks allegedly carried out by hoodlums from neighbouring Ijanikin.
“What led to the Saturday problem started in January. Some hoodlums suspected to be from Ijanikin stormed the Oto community, broke into shops and looted goods,” he said.
“When the community and the police intervened, most of the stolen items were recovered in Ijanikin. Then in February, the same hoodlums invaded again and were accused of sexually assaulting a woman.”
Adedeji said community leaders had made several efforts to maintain peace but claimed the attacks persisted.
“These boys did not stop despite our peace efforts. They invaded again in the middle of the night, destroying shops and looting. That was when some youths in Oto decided to chase them away,” he added.
He also alleged bias by security operatives during previous interventions.
“The Saturday incident was frightening. There was shooting and tear gas everywhere. A pregnant woman was reportedly shot and a young boy affected by tear gas.
“At least seven people were injured aside from those killed,” he said.
However, the General Secretary of the Ijanikin Youth Association, Sanni Oluwasegun, denied the allegations, insisting that residents of Ijanikin were also victims.
“Some of our people were injured as well,” Oluwasegun said in a telephone interview.
“They started shooting when people arrived at the scene. Even before the police came, the expressway had been blocked and objects were being thrown at youths in Ijanikin,” he added.
He alleged that the attacks were initiated by youths from Oto-Awori.
“For some time now, people from Oto-Awori have been invading our community at night to attack and loot. That has been the pattern. On Saturday, when they attacked around 2am, we mobilised our youths to defend ourselves and called the police,” he said.
Oluwasegun added that efforts were ongoing to restore calm between both communities.
“Peace has returned, and we are reaching out to youths in Oto-Awori to ensure that calm is sustained,” he said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, said in a statement on Saturday that suspects had been arrested and were cooperating with investigators.
“Massive deployment of police personnel has been carried out to sustain peace and forestall any further breakdown of law and order,” the statement said.
The police added that preliminary reports indicated that armed groups from both communities engaged in a gun duel before officers arrived.
“Before police intervention, both sides had reportedly mobilised cultists who were shooting. The victim may have been hit during the exchange,” the statement added.
A violent clash between residents of Oto-Awori and Ijanikin communities in Lagos has been linked to recurring attacks by suspected hoodlums, a development that culminated in the death of Akinyemi Omo Akin, a student of the Lagos State University of Education, NGGOSSIPS Metro learnt on Monday.
The clash, which reportedly began around 2am on Saturday, claimed Omo Akin’s life, while at least seven other residents sustained varying degrees of injuries. The violence also disrupted traffic along the Lagos–Badagry Expressway, as youths allegedly blocked the road before security operatives arrived.
A community leader in Oto-Awori, identified simply as Adedeji, told NGGOSSIPS Metro in a telephone interview on Monday that the crisis was the culmination of repeated attacks allegedly carried out by hoodlums from neighbouring Ijanikin.
“What led to the Saturday problem started in January. Some hoodlums suspected to be from Ijanikin stormed the Oto community, broke into shops and looted goods,” he said.
“When the community and the police intervened, most of the stolen items were recovered in Ijanikin. Then in February, the same hoodlums invaded again and were accused of sexually assaulting a woman.”
Adedeji said community leaders had made several efforts to maintain peace but claimed the attacks persisted.
“These boys did not stop despite our peace efforts. They invaded again in the middle of the night, destroying shops and looting. That was when some youths in Oto decided to chase them away,” he added.
He also alleged bias by security operatives during previous interventions.
“The Saturday incident was frightening. There was shooting and tear gas everywhere. A pregnant woman was reportedly shot and a young boy affected by tear gas.
“At least seven people were injured aside from those killed,” he said.
However, the General Secretary of the Ijanikin Youth Association, Sanni Oluwasegun, denied the allegations, insisting that residents of Ijanikin were also victims.
“Some of our people were injured as well,” Oluwasegun said in a telephone interview.
“They started shooting when people arrived at the scene. Even before the police came, the expressway had been blocked and objects were being thrown at youths in Ijanikin,” he added.
He alleged that the attacks were initiated by youths from Oto-Awori.
“For some time now, people from Oto-Awori have been invading our community at night to attack and loot. That has been the pattern. On Saturday, when they attacked around 2am, we mobilised our youths to defend ourselves and called the police,” he said.
Oluwasegun added that efforts were ongoing to restore calm between both communities.
“Peace has returned, and we are reaching out to youths in Oto-Awori to ensure that calm is sustained,” he said.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, said in a statement on Saturday that suspects had been arrested and were cooperating with investigators.
“Massive deployment of police personnel has been carried out to sustain peace and forestall any further breakdown of law and order,” the statement said.
The police added that preliminary reports indicated that armed groups from both communities engaged in a gun duel before officers arrived.
“Before police intervention, both sides had reportedly mobilised cultists who were shooting. The victim may have been hit during the exchange,” the statement added.
