Tension In Lagos Community As Thugs Slaughter Five After Naming Ceremony

Five people have been confirmed killed in the Ajah area of  Lagos as some hoodlums, suspected to be working for a political party sent them to their early graves. It was gathered that the victims were coming from a naming ceremony when the men waylaid, and opened fire on their bus. The killer gang was also said to have entered the vehicle and used cutlasses and knives to slit the throats of some of the occupants. The deceased were identified as Ganiyu Lawal, aka Ebe; Idris Kolapo; Samsudeen Osoja, aka Songa; Rafiu, aka Ralph; and Ladi.

A source said Songa’s head was cut off during the attack on Wednesday and that the five others, who sustained injuries during the onslaught, escaped by a whisker.

Investigations revealed that the deceased and survivors were working with the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Oyebanji branch, Lagos Island, Alhaji Mustapha Adekunle (aka Seego).

There has been palpable tension in the community as residents disclosed that the area had been in turmoil as some hoodlums in the area had been hunting people suspected to be involved in the killings.

A resident spoke on condition of anonymity, said trouble started on Sunday when Seego and the leader of a rival gang, Tunde (Alabi Yellow), met at a social gathering, where Seego asked Yellow to bow to him which the latter reportedly refused, and Seego ordered his boys to deal with Yellow by breaking a bottle on his head.

“We have factions and unions on the Lagos Island and they usually engage one another in superiority clashes. Two people were killed during the electioneering period as the political parties polarised them. 

“The rivalry was later settled after Ambode won the election. A man, popularly called Seego, later came to the area for a social function. During the event, he sighted Yellow and asked him to bow to him. When the latter refused, he became angry and ordered his boys to deal with him. Yellow was beaten and his clothes torn by Songa, who works for Seego.”

Another source, Pepe John, said Yellow left and promised to revenge the assault and disgrace on his person.

“On Wednesday, the wife of one of the boys in Ajah had a naming ceremony and about 10 guys from Okepopo went there to party. As they left after the party, a group of boys shot at their vehicle. They entered the bus and started slashing their throats.”

A source said the attackers cut off the head of Samsudeen (Songa), who allegedly smashed a bottle on Yellow’s head at a social gathering. He said they took the head away with them, but left the other corpses.

Another source said the victims identified their alleged attackers to including Tunde Yellow, Small Kuramo, Sharon, Abbas, Olokodana, Ade, Ibafo John, Orji Mass, Baba Raji and one Ejo Ilaje.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident. “Armed hoodlums shot at a moving vehicle and two persons were fatally injured, while three others sustained injuries.”

The Lagos State Chairman of the NURTW, Chief Tajudeen Agbede, said he was aware of the incident, adding that it did not happen in any motor park.

“The police are already involved in this case. What I always tell our members is to mind their public conduct and not bring disgrace to the union. Whenever anything like this happen outside the motor parks, I choose not to comment.”

Source: Punch