Gunmen attack Lagos community, kill two, injure others

• The residents reportedly informed the police of the attack but no action was taken.
• The police were said to have claimed that the community was peaceful, despite the growing proof of violence.

A violent attack on residents of a community in Lagos State by some rampaging armed men has claimed the lives of two people.

The attacks took place in Ijegun Egba community in the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of the State.

Scores of other residents were also injured during the shocking onslaught that occurred on Monday and Tuesday.

The attacks were carried out by armed men who invaded the community and started shooting and attacking residents with cutlasses and axes.

The deceased were identified as 40-year-old Gbenga Areagbo, a sickle cell patient, and Oladapo Olukoya, whose body was reportedly taken away by the killers through a jetty to the Ibasa area of the community.

Trouble reportedly began last Thursday when armed men from the Ibasa area of the community invaded the jetty at Ijegun Egba, harassing and robbing residents.

The attacks however escalated as the hoodlums were said to have returned on Monday to wreak havoc on the community.

“On Thursday evening, some armed thugs from Ibasa came in through a jetty into Ijegun Egba and began to attack our people. They identified an indigene of our town, Wasiu Ademola and they descended on him,” Punch quoted a resident who identified himself simply as Kudus to have said.

Meanwhile, the residents were said to have reported the incident to the police at the Satellite Town Police Station, but no action was taken.

The police were said to have claimed that the community was peaceful, despite the growing proof of violence.

Residents of the Ijegun Egba community have since expressed outrage over the killings while also criticising the police for their alleged inactions.

One of the leaders in the community, Saeed Ayinde, while speaking on the death of Areagbo, said, “He was sitting down with one of his friends, Lateef Arowolo, at the Ade Oshodi junction on Ijegun Egba, when the hoodlums invaded the area with arms and ammunition. They came in about three vehicles and motorcycles, brandishing guns and cutlasses.

“Lateef only narrowly escaped death but they attacked Gbenga, who was caught on the spot. They asked if he was Lateef and when he told them that he was not, they shot him at very close range and also used axes to cut him.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, is yet to issue a statement regarding the incident.