Barely seven days after two rival gangs clashed at the
Oshodi area of Lagos State, another clash by the same
warring groups occurred yesterday, over battle for
supremacy, which allegedly led to the death of five
people.
The rival gangs, who belong to different oppositions of
the National Union of Road Transport Workers
(NURTW), were said to have resumed their fight over
who controls the Oshodi area, known as a cash cow
owing to the numerous motor parks sited there.
According to eyewitness account, Wednesday’s
incident had been preceded by sporadic gunshots on
Tuesday night.
Armed with dangerous weapons like guns, bottles and
machetes, the rival gangs had stormed Oshodi en
mass before they began to unleash mayhem on
themselves and motorists.
The hoodlums were said to have vandalised and razed
vehicles whilst the fight was going on and they even
went as far as molesting innocent pedestrians who
unknowingly walked into the tense scene.
Five persons whose identities were yet to be identified
were gunned down, while several others sustained
varying degrees of injuries as they attempted to
scamper to safety when shooting started.
Whilst the clash lasted, all the shops in the area were
shut down, while commercial bus drivers avoided the
area in order to avoid their vehicles being vandalised.
The resultant effect was that pedestrians were
stranded for hours because the commercial bus
drivers had stayed away from Oshodi and its environs.
The tension was later doused by the deployment of
soldiers from the 9 brigade of the Ikeja Cantonment,
who were able to subdue the rival gangs.
However, to evade arrest, the hoodlums were said to
have fled immediately the military stormed the area.
As at press time, pedestrians were asked to raise their
hands and walk past the soldiers, in order to filter
innocent passersby from hoodlums who might want to
take advantage of the crowd to flee.
Although the police put the casualty rate at one,
eyewitness account alleged that no fewer than five
bodies were recovered from the scene after peace had
been restored.
However, the police officers later deployed to the
scene, were said to have arrested seven key persons
in connection with the crises, while recovering
machetes and expended cartridges.
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public
Relations Officer (PPRO), Deputy Superintendent of
Police (DSP), Kenneth Nwosu, said about seven
persons had since been arrested.
He said, “Already seven persons are in our net over
their roles in the break down of law and order at
Oshodi. We also recovered seven machetes and some
expended cartridges at the scene.
“Right now, normalcy has returned as the police are
presently on ground to maintain law and order. Every
resident of Lagos should go about their normal
businesses as the police are there to protect lives and
properties.
here had been a running battle between the two
factions, which had escalated three weeks ago when a
politician had shared his largesse to only one faction,
thus creating further bad blood.
Although 20 members of both factions were arrested
after they clashed, the gang again clashed a week ago
before they resumed their war again yesterday.
Oshodi area of Lagos State, another clash by the same
warring groups occurred yesterday, over battle for
supremacy, which allegedly led to the death of five
people.
The rival gangs, who belong to different oppositions of
the National Union of Road Transport Workers
(NURTW), were said to have resumed their fight over
who controls the Oshodi area, known as a cash cow
owing to the numerous motor parks sited there.
According to eyewitness account, Wednesday’s
incident had been preceded by sporadic gunshots on
Tuesday night.
Armed with dangerous weapons like guns, bottles and
machetes, the rival gangs had stormed Oshodi en
mass before they began to unleash mayhem on
themselves and motorists.
The hoodlums were said to have vandalised and razed
vehicles whilst the fight was going on and they even
went as far as molesting innocent pedestrians who
unknowingly walked into the tense scene.
Five persons whose identities were yet to be identified
were gunned down, while several others sustained
varying degrees of injuries as they attempted to
scamper to safety when shooting started.
Whilst the clash lasted, all the shops in the area were
shut down, while commercial bus drivers avoided the
area in order to avoid their vehicles being vandalised.
The resultant effect was that pedestrians were
stranded for hours because the commercial bus
drivers had stayed away from Oshodi and its environs.
The tension was later doused by the deployment of
soldiers from the 9 brigade of the Ikeja Cantonment,
who were able to subdue the rival gangs.
However, to evade arrest, the hoodlums were said to
have fled immediately the military stormed the area.
As at press time, pedestrians were asked to raise their
hands and walk past the soldiers, in order to filter
innocent passersby from hoodlums who might want to
take advantage of the crowd to flee.
Although the police put the casualty rate at one,
eyewitness account alleged that no fewer than five
bodies were recovered from the scene after peace had
been restored.
However, the police officers later deployed to the
scene, were said to have arrested seven key persons
in connection with the crises, while recovering
machetes and expended cartridges.
Confirming the incident, the state Police Public
Relations Officer (PPRO), Deputy Superintendent of
Police (DSP), Kenneth Nwosu, said about seven
persons had since been arrested.
He said, “Already seven persons are in our net over
their roles in the break down of law and order at
Oshodi. We also recovered seven machetes and some
expended cartridges at the scene.
“Right now, normalcy has returned as the police are
presently on ground to maintain law and order. Every
resident of Lagos should go about their normal
businesses as the police are there to protect lives and
properties.
here had been a running battle between the two
factions, which had escalated three weeks ago when a
politician had shared his largesse to only one faction,
thus creating further bad blood.
Although 20 members of both factions were arrested
after they clashed, the gang again clashed a week ago
before they resumed their war again yesterday.
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