Celebration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory by supporters of the party in Lagos has led to the death of two person while several others sustained various degree of injuries, as thugs and hired urchins reportedly used the occasion to unleash mayhem on the Igbo traders in Ojo, Oshodi and Tinubu areas of the state.
At the early hours of Wednesday , traders and people living around Alaba-Rago, Ojo witnessed road block by the supporters of APC who were chanting Sai Baba in celebration of Buhari's victory.
Residents of the area claimed that the urchins who were predominantly operators of commercial motorcycle fondly called Okada riders blocked the Mile 2-Badagry expressway harassing people along the busy route.
It was gathered that the armed thugs made bonfires on the road brandishing dangerous weapons beating and robbing innocent people.
The hoodlums later proceeded to Okokomaiko, along the Badagry-Mile two expressway, and later to Cassidy, down to Alaba-Rago, pouring powder and water on themselves harrasing passerby.
The procession however became violent when they barricaded the road, preventing motorists’ access, attacking commercial motorcyclists and traders at Alaba Rago.
Some youths who could not cope with the harassment stood up against the hoodlums, rose up to the defence of those being attacked, leading to a free-for-all, during which several persons were injured.
A police team from Okokomaiko division which stormed the scene to quell the situation was attacked by the rampaging group.
The incident led to the death of two people while the Police Division in Okokomaiko area was attacked resulting in the death of a Police officer.
In a related development, miscreants fondly called Area Boys, armed with weapons such as cutlasses, broken bottles, wood and knives, attacked Igbo traders in areas like Tinubu Square, Oluwole, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and other busy street in Lagos Island.
Eye witness alleged that the hoodlums who were also celebrating the victory of President Buhari took to the street attacking Igbo traders for not voting for President Buhari. Most of the shops in the busy Lagos Island were shut by the traders who feared they may be attacked.
A victim of the attack in Lagos Island, who would not have his name in print told our correspondent that the Area Boys intimidating the Igbos with the intent of discouraging them from participating in the March 9, Gubernatorial election.
Meanwhile Chief Bode George, Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Wednesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, to order over what he called the harassment of the Igbos in Lagos.
The PDP Chieftain in a statement released on Wednesday evening said, “recent use of thugs, hired urchins and low-lives to harass and unleash mayhem on the people of the South East” allegedly by the agents of Bola Tinubu in Lagos “is reprehensible, condemnable, sickening and very dangerous.”
“This clearly ill-advised jungle justice on fellow Nigerians whose offense is basically the fact that they voted according to their conscience is capable of provoking a reprisal attack and a greater cataclysm that may graduate into a fury that no one would be able to control.
“Since yesterday, I have been talking to various stakeholders from the South East to be restrained and calm and not to let the unfortunate incident widen into another violent scenario that may consume the nation itself.” and put fear in is so that we will not be bold to come out to vote in the upcoming governorship election. We need heavy police protection in the markets, churches and during the governorship election,” Chief George said.
Joe Igbokwe, Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, in reaction to Chief George's statement said APC would not have to deploy thuggery to win election in the state, stressing Lagos belongs to APC.
According to him, while the police is investigating the reported attacks, the APC has not hired or sponsored anybody to attack the Igbos.
He said, “I am an Igbo man and I belong to APC and millions of Igbos are in APC and we believe we would win the incoming governorship election. So PDP should not think they want to capitalize on this for votes.”
The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kehinde Bamigbetan, urged Lagosians, particularly non-indigenes to remain calm, assuring that adequate security had been put in place to ensure protection of lives and property of all citizens.
The Lagos State Police Command, in a statement released by its spokesperson, CSP Chike Oti, said, “Policemen on routine patrol who came to Alaba Rago to instruct the group to remove the barricade from the expressway to allow free flow of traffic, were attacked. One of the policemen who was severely injured was rushed to the hospital.
“A contingent of policemen was mobilised to restore calm in the area. Some arrests have been made and the Commissioner of Police, CP Zubairu Muazu, has ordered that the arrested suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department,SCIID for further investigation and possible prosecution,” the Police authority said.
At the early hours of Wednesday , traders and people living around Alaba-Rago, Ojo witnessed road block by the supporters of APC who were chanting Sai Baba in celebration of Buhari's victory.
Residents of the area claimed that the urchins who were predominantly operators of commercial motorcycle fondly called Okada riders blocked the Mile 2-Badagry expressway harassing people along the busy route.
It was gathered that the armed thugs made bonfires on the road brandishing dangerous weapons beating and robbing innocent people.
The hoodlums later proceeded to Okokomaiko, along the Badagry-Mile two expressway, and later to Cassidy, down to Alaba-Rago, pouring powder and water on themselves harrasing passerby.
The procession however became violent when they barricaded the road, preventing motorists’ access, attacking commercial motorcyclists and traders at Alaba Rago.
Some youths who could not cope with the harassment stood up against the hoodlums, rose up to the defence of those being attacked, leading to a free-for-all, during which several persons were injured.
A police team from Okokomaiko division which stormed the scene to quell the situation was attacked by the rampaging group.
The incident led to the death of two people while the Police Division in Okokomaiko area was attacked resulting in the death of a Police officer.
In a related development, miscreants fondly called Area Boys, armed with weapons such as cutlasses, broken bottles, wood and knives, attacked Igbo traders in areas like Tinubu Square, Oluwole, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and other busy street in Lagos Island.
Eye witness alleged that the hoodlums who were also celebrating the victory of President Buhari took to the street attacking Igbo traders for not voting for President Buhari. Most of the shops in the busy Lagos Island were shut by the traders who feared they may be attacked.
A victim of the attack in Lagos Island, who would not have his name in print told our correspondent that the Area Boys intimidating the Igbos with the intent of discouraging them from participating in the March 9, Gubernatorial election.
Meanwhile Chief Bode George, Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Wednesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, to order over what he called the harassment of the Igbos in Lagos.
The PDP Chieftain in a statement released on Wednesday evening said, “recent use of thugs, hired urchins and low-lives to harass and unleash mayhem on the people of the South East” allegedly by the agents of Bola Tinubu in Lagos “is reprehensible, condemnable, sickening and very dangerous.”
“This clearly ill-advised jungle justice on fellow Nigerians whose offense is basically the fact that they voted according to their conscience is capable of provoking a reprisal attack and a greater cataclysm that may graduate into a fury that no one would be able to control.
“Since yesterday, I have been talking to various stakeholders from the South East to be restrained and calm and not to let the unfortunate incident widen into another violent scenario that may consume the nation itself.” and put fear in is so that we will not be bold to come out to vote in the upcoming governorship election. We need heavy police protection in the markets, churches and during the governorship election,” Chief George said.
Joe Igbokwe, Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, in reaction to Chief George's statement said APC would not have to deploy thuggery to win election in the state, stressing Lagos belongs to APC.
According to him, while the police is investigating the reported attacks, the APC has not hired or sponsored anybody to attack the Igbos.
He said, “I am an Igbo man and I belong to APC and millions of Igbos are in APC and we believe we would win the incoming governorship election. So PDP should not think they want to capitalize on this for votes.”
The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kehinde Bamigbetan, urged Lagosians, particularly non-indigenes to remain calm, assuring that adequate security had been put in place to ensure protection of lives and property of all citizens.
The Lagos State Police Command, in a statement released by its spokesperson, CSP Chike Oti, said, “Policemen on routine patrol who came to Alaba Rago to instruct the group to remove the barricade from the expressway to allow free flow of traffic, were attacked. One of the policemen who was severely injured was rushed to the hospital.
“A contingent of policemen was mobilised to restore calm in the area. Some arrests have been made and the Commissioner of Police, CP Zubairu Muazu, has ordered that the arrested suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department,SCIID for further investigation and possible prosecution,” the Police authority said.
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