Mayhem in Lagos …5 killed, over 100 vehicles vandalised
By CHRISTOPHER OJI

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Five persons were killed and over 100 vehicles destroyed in the early hours of Wednesday at the Onipanu area of Lagos when two factions of street urchins popularly known as Area Boys clashed.

Some of the vandalised vehicles



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Daily Sun reliably gathered that trouble started when a notorious thug popularly identified as Bello, on Tuesday, allegedly led some members of a cult group and attacked some Area Boys at the Onipanu area.


It was also learnt that during the attack, one Shina Ajah, Sule Abibu, Akeem Bashiru and other yet-to-be-identified persons were seriously injured. The injured persons were hospitalized but Ajah and four other Area Boys later died. At about 12.00 midnight yesterday, some Area Boys loyal to Ajah allegedly stormed the scene where Ajah was allegedly killed and unleashed terror on residents.


The hoodlums also vandalized over 100 vehicles after they had allegedly looted the vehicles.

An eyewitness who simply identifed himself as Wasiu told Daily Sun that vehicles parked on Idera, Awoyokun, Tewose and Ajegunle Streets were vandlaised while some night crawlers were injured by the hoodlums, On the cause of the hostility, Wasiu revealed that two factions of street urchins were supporters of different politicians in the area.


According to him, the opponent to a politician ( name withheld) whom the late Shina was alleged to have supported felt that without Shina, backing he might win. So, he allegedly sent some cult groups to eliminate him and his group member. He alleged that when Shina’s loyalists heard of his death, they came on a reprisal attack. “It was the thugs that were loyal to Shina that wreaked havoc on the streets of Onipanu,” he said.


When Daily Sun visited the streets mentioned, residents were seen fleeing the place for fear of further reprisal attacks.

A resident, Sunday Ugbah said he had lived in the area for over six years and had never witnessed such mayhem “I escaped death by the whiskers because I was outside taking fresh air and I slept off until a young lady woke me up telling me to run for safety.”

He said he managed to run inside the house where he saw many people armed with guns and other lethal weapons, adding that some of the area boys were shooting sporadically while others vandalized the vehicles.


Another resident who simply identified herself as Biola claimed she knew the late Shina. “I saw him the day he was killed. He was with about 10 of his boys when he walked past the front of our house on Tuesday.” She said when the Area Boys were attacking her street, Awoyokun, she thought the invaders were armed robbers but was shocked to see them smashing vehicles. She later heard that the attackers came to protest Shina’s death.


She accused the police of being insensitive to the residents’ plight as they did not come to the rescue of residents during the attack.

However, the command’s spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba confirmed the clash between the two factions and said only two persons, Shina Ajah and a yet-to-be identified person died. He said the scene was visited by the policemen who removed the corpses to a public mortuary, Mba assured that the police was on top of the situation and advised residents to go about their normal duties without fear.