NB247
Reports have indicated that four persons have been killed and one injured following a gun attack at a crowded smoker spot near a military barracks in Ojo, Lagos State.
The injured was said to be a 14-year-old boy hit by a stray bullet during the shooting on Saturday night at Onireke bus-stop, where the snooker spot is located.
The gunmen reportedly stormed the area around 9 pm and opened fire on the people present.One of those caught in the fray was a fast food vendor, who reportedly died on the spot.
There are however speculations that the attackers could be either robbers or cultists, as they also took time to robb some persons and chanted slangs noted with fraternities during the attack.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command has arrested five suspected cultists in connection with the incident.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, in a statement on Sunday night described the incident as a cult clash, adding that the commanders of the tactical squad operatives and the Divisional Police Officer led crack tactical operatives and detectives from the police division were deployed to the scene.
She stated that three victims were reportedly rushed to the hospital for treatment, but one of them was later confirmed dead at the Badagry General Hospital.
According to her, the suspects arrested were identified as Victor Christian, 43; Samuel Success, 29; Balogun Emmanuel, 43; Wisdom Chukwuemeka, 28; and Oche Job, 39, who were apprehended during a coordinated operation led by tactical units of the command.
“An immediate raid of the entire area by the joint police team comprising the conventional police team, the tactical squad units, and other detectives led to the arrest of five of the suspects directly responsible for the attack and death of the victim at a hotel in the locality,” she said.
“A thorough search of the premises and the operational vehicle of the arrested cultists led to the recovery of firearms, ammunition, and other dangerous weapons used in cult clashes.
”Exhibits recovered include one (1) locallylocally-made pistol, two (2) pump-action guns, fifty-two (52) live cartridges, two (2) expended cartridges, one (1) Toyota Avalon with registration number KTU 610 JB, one (1) HP laptop, one (1) computer mouse, one (1) car key, one (1) cutlass, one (1) Federal Republic of Nigeria passport bearing the name Ekomafe Gregory Dickson, two (2) Samsung Android phones, two (2) iPhones, one (1) additional Android phone, and one (1) small Nokia phone.
”All recovered items have been properly documented and registered as exhibits for ongoing investigation.”
She added that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the group, while police patrols and tactical teams had been deployed to forestall reprisal attacks.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Olohundare Jimoh, commended the operatives for their swift response and assured residents of the command’s commitment to eradicating cult-related violence across the state.
He urged members of the public to remain law-abiding and to promptly report any suspicious movement to the nearest police station.