Three persons were stabbed to death at the Old Apapa Road in the Oyingbo area of Lagos State while some traders were injured as some teenagers launched an attack on Freeman and Borno streets.
The bandits who were armed with weapons such as cutlasses and knives also looted shops in the attack which lasted for about 30 minutes on Saturday, August 1, 2015.
According to some traders, the attackers aged between 15 and 20 who were about 30 in number, stormed the area around 3pm and ordered them to leave their shops and went ahead to inflict injuries on obstinate ones.
According to Punch, the teenagers were reportedly led by one Idris Aloma, who was said to be based in the Sawmill, Okobaba area.
Narrating the ordeal, one of the traders, Bolaji Olumofe, said, “The boys were no fewer than 30. Most of them wore white shirts. They had cutlasses and guns with them. They stormed the streets, and started entering shops at will.
“They attacked traders and workers. One of the workers is being treated in a hospital as we speak. They stole television sets and handsets. It was a daylight robbery.
“These boys were in three factions. One of the factions claimed to be mourning one of their leaders who was killed on Thursday. The second faction came later to Borno Way and attacked traders there too.
“The onslaughts happened for about 30 minutes. The teenagers went towards Freeman Street, shooting and daring residents to come out. The policemen from Denton division later came, but the hoodlums had fled.”
Another one said, “We were robbed at about 2.30pm. I have a refrigerator and I sell frozen foods. The boys just barged in with cutlasses and knives and began to seize bags and aprons. I lost about N300,000.
“Everyone ran away because of their number and weapons. My neighbour sells phones; they took all the phones after collecting her money. She has not come to the market since then.”
A security official, Ishola Musibau, noted that the hoodlums were Fagbayimu and Kogbagidi boys, who, he claimed, had been arrested and granted bail on several occasions.
He said, “The violence started in the Sawmill, Okobaba Estate area on Friday, where two of the hoodlums were killed. The faction there mobilised to old Apapa Road on Saturday and killed three persons in a reprisal.
“It was after then that they moved to the market area, and began to loot shops and attack the traders. The hoodlums are known as Fagbayimu and Kogbagidi boys. They have ring leaders such as Taoreed, LekanSondoko, Ajayi and others.
“One of the persons they killed on Old Apapa Road is identified simply as Yoyo-the-tailor. It was a full-scale onslaught. The vigilance groups are going after these hoodlums. We cannot allow them to continue to harass and terrorise our women.”
Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Patricia Amadin, said, “Four suspects were arrested on Monday in the area. They are in the custody of the Area C Police Command, Surulere.”
