Lagos Island Gang War: 8 Die, Shops Burgled

CHUKA UBAH

Residents and traders in some parts of Lagos Island are now living in fear as eight youths reportedly died during the renewed bloody clashes between Onola and Okepopo boys at the weekend.

Several others including an Almanjiri were learnt to have sustained fatal injuries during the attack and counter attack by the miscreants.

Many traders also lost their goods to the mayhem as the fighting youths used the opportunity to break into shops and looted goods met in those shops.

According to a reliable source, the Okepopo boys invaded Onola area on Friday night after the release of their point man call ‘FALAPA’ by the Police.

“It was during the attack that the Okepopo boys shot and used machete to kill a boy who was sleeping inside a tricycle popularly known as Keke-Marwa in front of Iga Faji while some boys and a beggar from the North were seriously wounded during the invasion,” he narrated.

As a result of the incident and sympathy for the deceased, Onola youths and their sympathisers grouped together and launched a counter attack on Okepopo area where four of the earlier invaders were killed.

The Okepopo boys launched another attack on Sunday night but met strong resistance from Onola youths who had laid a siege for them which led to the death of another youth from Okepopo.

It was also gathered that some traders whose shops had been burgled joined forces with Onola youths to deal with the Okepopo boys who were alleged to have turned the constant fight into looting and robbing innocent people of their personal belongings.

Efforts by the police teams from Area ‘A’ Command, Adeniji Adele, Jankara and Lion Building Divisional stations to end the constant mayhem proved abortive as the weapons brandished by the conflicting youths were too sophisticated.

“Whenever the police teams patrolled the affected areas and returned to their bases, the Okepopo boys will launch an attack; and within 10 to 15 minutes, they will do the operation and go back to hiding again,” the source revealed.

The attack and counter attack had reduced since Tuesday night when some military personnel joined the Police team to patrol the affected areas and arrested some of the boys.

When our correspondent went round the affected areas which included Itafaji, Isale-gangan, Princess, Anikantamo, Evans, Massey, Okepopo, Koilo, Atiko and the adjacent streets, few shop owners opened to customers, even with fear noticed in their eyes.

The military team was seen at Oshodi/Tokunboh junction on the Lagos Island but usually went round with the police in mufti with the aim of arresting the conflicting youths.

Visiting the affected areas around 6pm has become dreadful because one do not know when the boys will strike, especially with the total darkness caused by lack of power supply by Eko Electric.