No respite in Lagos as arson, looting persists

For the second day in Lagos, security agencies battled to quell the statewide arsons that have engulfed the country’s commercial capital as more places including police stations were torched on Thursday.

Tension was still palpable in the state on Thursday amidst the curfew which was imposed by the state government to arrest the raging violence allegedly triggered by the #EndSARS protest.

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Hoodlums had on Wednesday set ablaze dozens of public properties in Lagos including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) terminals, Lagos Council secretariats, the palace of Oba of Lagos, among others.

But on Thursday, the arsons continued even as security agencies also engaged the hoodlums.

Yesterday, a combined team of Police and Prisons officials prevented a jailbreak at a correctional facility at Ikoyi.

Recalled that over 50 personnel of the Nigerian Army who were tried and dismissed for allegedly refusing to fight Boko Haram are serving various jail terms in Ikoyi.

The Lagos State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Centre on Thursday confirmed the attacks.

Similarly, hoodlums stormed Igando Police Station and allegedly carted away several AK 47 rifles, walkie-talkies before setting it on fire.

The Divisional Police Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Taiwo Kasumu, sustained severe wounds while trying to protect policemen from being killed.

However, the hoodlums also suffered casualties as five of them were gunned down and many were injured during the raid which lasted throughout Wednesday.

Also around 12:00pm yesterday, the arsonists set ablaze the divisional police office at the popular Grammar School Ojodu along Ogunnusi road in Ojodu LCDA.

Daily Trust learnt that the hoodlums had targeted the station on Wednesday but they were repelled as armed mobile policemen gunned down one of them. But they returned on Thursday to set the station ablaze.

The police officers on duty reportedly fled while the vicinity of the station has been surrounded by Mobile Police Officers.

Earlier in the morning, attempt to set ablaze the state Ministry of Environment was foiled by security agencies at Alausa secretariat which is the seat of power in the state.

Victims speak out

Our correspondents report that many lives and properties were lost in Lagos in the last few days during the protest and curfew.

One of those who lost their lives was Okechukwu Obi-Enadhuze, a Lagos resident who was a fresh graduate of computer science from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) in Ogun. Along with losing Oke, his family lost everything they own. Their house was vandalized and set on fire.

14 hours after a Gofundme account was created for his family, 450 donors have donated £10,603 as of 4:00pm yesterday.

Recounting the incidence that led to the death of his brother, Obi-Enadhuze Daniel, younger brother of the now deceased Okechukwu said, “I, my brother and mother lived at Makinde police barracks, Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos State.

“On October 21 at about 11 o’clock in the morning, the police station at Makinde was attacked by thugs who wanted to destroy the station.

“The three of us were holed up in our house while the attack went on for hours before the thugs eventually breached the police and proceeded to set the station (entrance) on fire.

“After accomplishing this, they set their sights to the barracks and began the assault.

“They proceeded to destroy every car in the barracks, my mom’s two cars were destroyed and set on fire and then they infiltrated our house by breaking the door.

“They then proceeded to ransack the house and carted away with everything we own.

“My brother was pushed to my mom’s room and stabbed on the neck.

“The attacker then proceeded to attack me, missed my neck, but got my chin instead.”

Adebayo Jubril, a trader at Fagba disclosed that he cannot say in monetary term how much he has lost since the protest started.

“We have no alternative than to start relocating. I am moving down to Ajuwon in Ogun State,” he said.

Enquiry on Lekki killings begins Monday

Meanwhile, the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu described as scary the extent of damage to public properties in Lagos, even as he hinted that a public enquiry into the Lekki shooting might commence on Monday.

Speaking in an interview monitored on Arise TV, Sanwo-Olu also blamed the unrest in Lagos on false social media information.

He said social media was used negatively to incite crisis in the State.

The governor also dismissed report that security cameras at the Lekki tollgate was removed, saying the cameras removed were the infrared devices which captured only the number plates of vehicles.

Following the activities of hoodlums who have continued to loot business premises and destroy properties in the State, the governor called on community influencers including religious, traditional and Community Development Associations leaders to prevail on the youths with a view to pulling them out of the streets.