Protests as police kill two in Lagos

The PPRO for Lagos State police command, Ngozi Braide.

Scores of residents of IjoraBadia, Lagos State, protested at the Ijora-Badia Police Station on Sunday after the alleged killing of two youths by policemen in the area.

According to eyewitnesses, the two were killed earlier in the day (Sunday) while policemen were attempting to disperse youths who were fighting in the area.

A resident, who craved anonymity, said, “Around 4am on Sunday, there was a party in Dele Hotel in the area and many guys came to the area to have fun. However, some guys from Ijora-Badia clashed with some other guys along the railway line.

“Policemen immediately rushed down to the scene and started shooting indiscriminately. In the process, one Moses Ayenuro was hit in the neck while another guy was also shot. He later died in the hospital.”

It was learnt that the mother of one of the slain boys mobilised women and other residents to the station to demand justice, only for the policemen on duty to disperse them with live bullets.

It was learnt that after dispersing the youths, the policemen embarked on a raid and arrested many other youths.

However, a senior officer at the station, who craved anonymity, said only one youth was killed adding that he was killed by hoodlums and not policemen.

He said, “When we got to the scene, many of the youths were seen stabbing one another with machetes and broken bottles and we shot into the air to disperse them. After the pandemonium, we observed that one of the boys had been stabbed in the neck.

“We were therefore surprised when residents began protesting later in the day. They became violent and started throwing bottles and stones at our station and we had no choice but to disperse them.”

Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said five suspects had been arrested. She maintained that police did not kill anyone. She said, rather, it was the hoodlums that killed Ayenuro.

“There was a stampede at Dele Hotel where they were holding a party. Hoodlums got in a fight. Moses Ayeneru was stabbed, but he was rescued along with one IK and another guy but Ayeneru died at hospital. The hoodlums attacked the station, demanding the release of their men. Five suspects were arrested,” she added.