Tension In Ikotun Over Alleged Killing Of Oba’s Brother, 2 Others As ‘One Million Boys’

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

There is serious tension in Abaranje area of Ikotun, Lagos, over the alleged killing of three suspected armed robbers; one was said to be a brother to the Oba of Ikotun, popularly known as ‘One Man Squad’ and two others, as they were suspected to be members of ‘One Million Boys’ criminal gang in the area.
P.M.EXPRESS gathered that the three victims were beheaded and cut into pieces with cutlasses by irate youths and the vigilante in the area after the victims were apprehended in the early hours of the morning and suspected to be members of the ‘One Million Boys’ gang.
The incident happened on Tuesday when the angry youths, who mounted security points in the area, caught and took the victims to a nearby swamp and murdered them despite the fact they were said to be living in the area.
It was not certain if the victims were members of the ‘One Million Boys’ as claimed by the angry youths, who had kept vigil every night to secure the area from bandits since the lockdown started in the State.The killing may have left the Police devastated as they had been working day and night to protect lives and property across the State especially because of possible reprisal attacks in the area.Some of the youths, suspected to have carried out the dastardly act of jungle justice, have been arrested and undergoing interrogation to ascertain their level of involvement in the murder.The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, visited the area to calm down the tension that had built up in the area and frowned on the purported jungle justice carried out on the suspects who were said to have been identified by the families.The murder of the suspects may have settled the myths of ‘One Million Boys’ who were said to have its origin in Ajegunle area before moving to other areas in the State to cause violence and rob people but it was not certain if actually the suspects were part of ‘One Million Boys’ as alleged by the residents.
Some of the residents who spoke to P.M.EXPRESS were divided over the killing. While some said they were members of ‘One Million Boys’ because they were caught in the early hours of the morning and murdered, others said they may not be members of the gang because they were said to be living around the area with their parents. Another set said we’re of the opinion that they should have been handed over to the Police to ascertain if they were actually criminals as alleged.However, the incident has actually proved that if there is existence of ‘One Million Boys’, then they must have cells within the communities and not actually coming from other areas to attack residents in other areas in the State.