Three persons were shot dead yesterday, during a shootout between hoodlums and some officers attached to the Federal Operations Zone A, Ikeja, of the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, at White Sand community in Ijora Badia area of Lagos State.
Three others, among who was a Customs officer, also sustained gunshot injuries.
According to Vanguard, trouble started when a man named Ojo was allegedly attacked and stabbed to death by some Hausa boys in the area. The Yoruba youths in the area staged a protest that became violent.
“For long, these Hausa boys have been attacking people here. They waylay people, dispose them of cash and belongings. Even rulers of both ethnic groups are aware of the issue.”Tajudeen Shamsudeen, a resident in the community said The demolition of shanties in the community yesterday increased the tension in the area.
While the Hausa community claim the demolition is one-sided as its only their houses that were demolished, the Yoruba community deny the claim saying it was on the order of the state government.
In the course of the demolition, some Customs officers, who residents of the area claim were invited by the Seriki Hausa, the leader of the Hausa community, stormed the community in three patrol vehicles at about 2.30p.m.
They were alleged to have shot into the air to scare off hoodlums in the area. The hoodlums were said to have resisted the Customs officers who allegedly attempted to stop the demolition, an action that led to a shootout, during which three persons sustained gunshot wounds.
One of the bullets from the hoodlums hit a Customs officer who was later rushed to the hospital. One of those hit by a stray bullet was identified to be Azeez Tajudeen. Eyewitnesses said he was first taken to the police station for a police report, before being rushed to an undisclosed hospital.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Lagos state Police command, Dolapo Badmus, said contrary to eyewitnesses, only one person died during the attack
“The community and the police were on a joint operation of raiding black spots within the community and arresting suspected criminals yesterday. In the process, some officers of the Nigerian Customs Service officers, who were with officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, had an encounter with some of the hoodlums. They fired some shots and three people were hit. As a result, one death was recorded, while two others are receiving treatment in the hospital. Policemen are not involved.”she said
