One Killed, Five Injured As Thugs Invade Ebute Meta

At least one person was killed while five others sustained varying degrees of injuries after thugs numbering about 12 invaded Oto Town and Apapa Road as well as six other streets in Ebute Meta, Lagos.

The development comes less than three weeks after four persons were injured and 28 vehicles were vandalised in the area by thugs.

PUNCH Metro learnt that in the renewed attack on Wednesday, the thugs, wielding knives and cutlasses, killed one Hakeem Omisore, along the Railway Line in Oto Town and robbed residents in the area.

Our correspondent, who visited the area, learnt that the violence was a continuation of a long running feud between thugs from Oto and Apapa.

Meanwhile, residents of both areas have been trading blame over the incident.

The brother of the deceased, who refused to identify himself, said his brother went to urinate along the railway around 3am when he was killed.

He said, “My brother went to ease himself around 3am on Wednesday when the hoodlums attacked him and collected his phone.

“According to neighbours, my brother was shouting ‘I know you people, I can identify you’ when the hoodlums shot him.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that plans were being made to take the deceased to his hometown in Ile-Ife, Osun State, for burial.

After killing Omisore, the hoodlums were said to have proceeded to Alarape Family house in Oto and shot one Wasiu.

It was learnt that Wasiu had been rushed to the General Hospital, Lagos, where doctors were preparing to perform a surgery on him.

When our correspondent visited Thomas Street, off Apapa Road, blood stains were seen splattered on a carpenter’s workshop.

The carpenter, Ibrahim Alaga, who has been hospitalised, told our correspondent that N160, 000 was stolen from him.

He said, “The thugs used a cutlass to inflict wounds on my head and my back. Some of them were holding guns. They stole N160,000 which a customer had paid as deposit for a job.

“The hoodlums were from Oto and they left me for dead. Luckily for me, some residents were able to rush me to hospital.”

Eyewitnesses said the hoodlums attacked over 10 houses before fleeing.

On Brickfield Street, a mother of three, who refused to identify herself, said her daughter and friends were robbed and were stabbed with knives by the hoodlums.

Alhaja Fausat Ikusanu, on Daudu Lane, said the hoodlums robbed her house but didn’t attack anyone.

She said, “The hoodlums, all in black, broke into my house and told us to lie down. They stole all our phones, including the sum of N15, 000. When they were about leaving, they ordered me to pray for them.”

PUNCH Metro learnt that due to the frequent attacks in the area, five Community Development Associations, comprising Ilogbo, Oto Town, Abule Nla, Ifeoluwa, Ifesowapo and Ogba Elefo have been holding meetings with a view to finding a solution to the crime.

The CDA Chairman of Abule Nla, Alhaji Adewunmi Yekini, said in the past, the thugs only engaged in supremacy battles but they had now resorted to robbery.

“I’ve been living in Ebute Meta since 1967 and I can boldly say that insecurity in the area has never been this bad,” he said.

The counsel of Apapa Road residents, Mr. Kola Sodiya, said a petition had been written to the state police command, and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad had promised to start investigations.

Source: Legit.ng