Three people were killed and two others injured on Thursday when a dispute over a ₦200 levy escalated into a violent clash between area boys and associates of a tricycle rider in the Ikola area of Lagos State.
The Lagos State Police Command said calm had been restored to the area, with security operatives deployed for continuous monitoring following the incident.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Abimbola Adebisi, trouble began when suspected area boys allegedly stopped a tricycle rider and demanded ₦200. The statement said the rider refused to pay, after which the tricycle was allegedly seized.
The rider reportedly returned with others, sparking a violent confrontation between the two groups in which three people died and two were injured. Some buildings were also set ablaze during the violence.
Adebisi said the deceased and injured had been taken to the Military Hospital, Yaba, adding that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Tijani, alongside the Commander of 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Afolabi Owolabi, visited the scene to assess the situation and coordinate the security response.
“Operatives drawn from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Taskforce, Tactical Squad, Police Mobile Force, Eko Strike Force and the command’s Anti-Violent Crime Unit have since been deployed to the area to maintain law and order,” she said, adding that the situation was firmly under control.
Investigations have commenced, with the police promising to arrest and prosecute anyone found culpable.
Residents were urged to remain calm, avoid spreading unverified information, and provide the police with credible information to assist the investigation.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
