Buhari Re-Election: Jubilating Youths Turn Violent, Kill Three, Injure Policemen In Lagos
LAGOS FEBRUARY 28TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Youths celebrating President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election in Alaba Rago, a suburb of Lagos turned violent by unleashing mayhem on traders and residents of the area.
Three persons were reported to have been killed and many others including policemen injured as a result of the violent.
It was gathered that violence erupted at Okokomaiko before noon when youths in their hundreds stormed the express in celebration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration as winner of last Saturday’s presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to sources, the youths armed with cutlasses and bottles sang songs of victory from Alaba Rago and marched towards Okokomaiko blocking the entire expressway and challenging other road users.
They were said to have resorted to violence at Okokomaiko, where they attacked traders and vandalised their shops as ‘punishment’.
A woman who identified herself as Blessing said: “They came from Alaba Rago and were celebrating President Buhari’s victory. They were also shouting Sai Baba and marching towards Okokomaiko.
“But as soon as they got to Okokomaiko, they started destroying traders’ wares and this made the traders to run for fear of their lives.
“The hoodlums marched to the Okokomaiko Police Division and the officers there triedbto stop them but they were violent. They attacked the officers and injured some of the policemen.
“We heard gunshots and later news started flying that they killed one of the policemen. This issue has been on since morning. Parents ran to schools to take their children.
“Vehicles were not moving on this busy road because they also burnt tyres. It was terrible. It was the army that later came and restored peace.
A meat seller Sule condemned the violence, lamenting that it made it impossible for him to ply his trade.
“I am from the north and those who caused this issue are also from the north. I have not sold anything since morning. What will I do with all this meat now?” Sule lamented.
A motorcyclist said policemen made some arrest when they got to the scene, but alleged that those arrested were innocent bystanders and not the perpetrators of the violence.
At the time of this report, policemen from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and soldiers were still at the scene. An RRS helicopter was also hovering the area.
Meanwhile the police averted a clash between hoodlums in Lagos Island Wednesday morning after a faction made to obstruct traders from opening their shops.
It was gathered that some hoodlums had stormed Oluwole, Nnamdi Azikwe, Tinubu, Bamgbose and Alli Streets around 9am, accusing traders of not voting their preferred candidates during the last election.
They were however confronted by another faction who found their actions to be provocative and in bad taste.
It was gathered that both faction engaged in a heated brawl and were close to attacking each other when policemen from Area A Command intervened.
Contacted, police spokesman Chike Oti, a Chief Superintendent (CSP) said 37 suspects were arrested at the Alaba Rago incident, adding that investigation had commenced.
Oti confirmed the hoodlums attacked police vehicles and injured personnel who made to take them off the highways.
He said: “Some youths blocked the highway and information was sent to the police. Policemen on traffic control duty were deployed and they tried to get them to leave the road but they attacked the policemen. Some policemen sustained injuries. Reinforcement was dispatched to the scene and 37 persons were arrested. Investigation is ongoing.
“There was no crisis at Lagos Island. What happened was that hoodlums were about to confront themselves and policemen were quickly deployed to avoid any incident.“
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Posted by News Rangers
on Feb 28 2019. Filed under National.
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