Residents and business owners were thrown into pain mood as two persons reportedly lost their lives in a clash involving some hoodlums in Marina, in the Lagos Island Local Government Area of Lagos State.
It was gathered that the clash started when some thugs attacked a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, identified only as Dare.
The victim was said to be on his way home after attending a party when the assailants, who laid in ambush for him around 11pm, stabbed him and robbed him of his valuables.
Dare, who was said to be popular on Luta Street in Lagos Island, died from the injuries he sustained during the attack.
According to PUNCH, a resident, Adedeji Akinwande, said the victim mentioned the names of some of the hoodlums who attacked him before he died and that people in the area, who were angered by the killing, trailed some of the suspects to Marina.
Akinwande said, “One of the hoodlums who attacked the NURTW member was apprehended. People saw bloodstains on him and when queried, he could not explain why he was running even when nobody was chasing him.
“While being interrogated, he jumped into the lagoon and some of the boys also jumped into the water and apprehended him again. They felt he was running because he was guilty and out of annoyance, they stabbed him to death. The incident was reported at the Lion Building Police Station.
“Those boys are fond of robbing people of their valuables at odd hours. The NURTW member was one of their many victims and that was why a lot of people were annoyed.”
Jimoh Buhari, a spokesperson for the NURTW chairman in the state, Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, who confirmed Dare’s death explained that the hoodlums targeted Dare because he was part of the people preventing them from constituting a nuisance around the NURTW park in Marina.
Buhari said, “The hoodlums usually sleep in the park. They constitute a nuisance in the area. We chased them away from the park in Marina and last week, the police arrested some of them. Dare was part of the union officers that chased them away from the park.
“So, when they saw him, they stabbed him to death. He is from Luta Street and residents in the area attempted to cause trouble, but the police intervened and normalcy was restored. The victim has been buried and some of those who attacked him are still on the run.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, is yet to comment on the incident.