Joy Anyim
A policeman and one other are feared to have lost their lives on Wednesday, following a violent clash that erupted between youths who were celebrating President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election victory and policemen at the Okokomaiko area of Lagos.
The said youths who are suspected to be from the northern part of the country were matching in their hundreds chanting victory songs from Alaba Rago market to Okokomaiko.
The March became violent when the said youths who were carrying cutlasses, bottles and sticks started attacking shop owners and traders around the area, destroying their wares.
The traders quickly closed their shops and ran for their lives while the youths marched to Okokomaiko Police Division.
They had attempted to gain entrance into the police division when they were stopped by policemen on guard.
This resulted in a fracas between the youths and the police, a policeman was said to have lost his life in the process while several others were injured.
The Nigerian Xpress gathered that it took the effort of men from the Nigerian Army to restore peace in the area.
According to a trader who gave her identity as blessing, the incident started at about 9 am and extended to 3 pm. “ Over a hundred hoodlums suspected to be from the north were matching from Alaba Rago to Okokomaiko singing songs of victory in celebration of the president’ s victory. They were also shouting sai baba, sai baba.
“ However when they got to Okokomaiko they started attacking shops and destroying trader’s wares which caused many of us to run for our lives. They matched to the police division and when policemen on guard tried to stop them, they attacked them.
“ We heard gun shots and later news reached us that a policeman had been killed by the hoodlums. Thanks to men of the Nigerian Army who intervened in the matter and restored peace in the area,” she said.
A meat seller who gave his name as Sule said the youths were mainly northerners. He lamented the loss he would have to incure due to his inability to sell his meat.
A bike man who confided in the Correspondent said although the Police had made some arrests, those arrested were not the actual perpetrators of the violent act. “ it was just innocent persons that were arrested. Some were people who got stranded due to the crisis while others were traders,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Lagos state police command CSP Chike Oti said there was no loss of life. “ Early this morning some youths started celebrating the victory of President Buhari, the youths blocked the road, preventing vehicular movement. Policemen on routine patrol who came to the area told them to make way to enable free flow of traffic. Unfortunately they pounced on the policemen. One of the police officer who was seriously injured was rushed to the hospital. There was no loss of life,” he stated.
“ However, the command have mobilised a contingent of policemen to restore calm in the area. And so far some arrest has been made and the Commissioner of Police Muazu Zubairu has ordered that the arrested suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, (SCIID), for further investigation and possible prosecution.”
Similarly the police also averted what would have degenerated into a bloody clash on Lagos Island on Wednesday.
Seperate factions of hoodlums popularly known as Area boys were said to have had a misunderstanding while celebrating President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory.
They had taken over Oluwole, Nnamdi Azikwe, Tinubu, Bamgbose and Alli Streets when police stormed the area to restore sanity.
Oti also said the police was on top of the situation as several police team were deployed to the area to avert any breakdown of law and order.
