Hoodlums slaughter 23-year-old, ask residents not to panic

Some hoodlums have invaded Iya Agan Street on Old Apapa Road in the Ebute-Meta area of Lagos State, killing a 23-year-old, identified only as Dada.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the hoodlums, who wielded guns and cutlasses, asked residents not to panic while they slaughtered Dada, alias Ratio, saying they (hoodlums) did not come for innocent lives.

The 23-year-old, whose family members or address, had yet to be known, was killed around 5.30pm on Friday in the area.It was learnt that anxious residents, however, contacted the vigilance group in the area, which in turn contacted the Iponri Police Division.

It was gathered that when policemen arrived at the scene, Dada’s corpse was recovered, but the hoodlums had fled.

When PUNCH Metro got to the street on Monday, some of the residents said they wanted to flee when they heard the gunshots, but the hoodlums calmed them down, saying they only trailed a rival member to the area, and they had no plan to unleash terror on anyone.

A shop owner, who gave his name only as Abimbola, said the attackers came in two tricycles, otherwise known as Keke Marwa.

He said,the gunshots did not have effect, they slaughtered him with a cutlass.”

A resident, who declined to mention her name, said Dada was known to be moving with the Fagbayimu Boys, adding that rival hoodlums, trailed him to the area.

She said, “Those hoodlums had come on Tuesday to attack a shop owner and collected his phones and money. So, when we saw them again on Friday, we were afraid. But they said they knew the person they were looking for.

“Minutes later, they found Dada and started shooting at him. There was a man who came to repair his car at a mechanic workshop at that time, he left his car and climbed a fence in fear. But the hoodlums continued to assure

people around the scene that they should not run.

“ I do not know the deceased’s family members, but he was usually seen with the Fagabayimu Boys. When we told the man on the fence that the hoodlums had gone and he should come down, he refused.”

One of the executives of the vigilance group, Mr. Ishola Agbodemu, said one of the hoodlums, identified only as Ayo, was caught on Saturday and handed over to the Anti-Robbery Section of the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba.

He said, “The hoodlums wanted to start reprisals in our area, but we brought out vigilance group members to apprehend them. On Saturday, one of the suspects, Ayo, was caught with weapons. They were actually three, but we caught one of them.

“He is at the SDCI, and the police are interrogating him.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos,confirmed the killing.

She added that investigation was ongoing into the incident.