Tragedy struck on Monday on Ishawo Road,
Ikorodu, Lagos State, after some Ijaw youths, suspected to be pipeline
vandals, opened fire on policemen in the area, killing four.
Ikorodu, Lagos State, after some Ijaw youths, suspected to be pipeline
vandals, opened fire on policemen in the area, killing four.
PUNCH Metro learnt that while
three of the deceased were attached to the Owutu Police Division, one
was from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.Residents said the Ijaw youths took away the corpses of three of their victims.
three of the deceased were attached to the Owutu Police Division, one
was from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.Residents said the Ijaw youths took away the corpses of three of their victims.
Our correspondent observed during a
visit to the area that there was apprehension in the community, while
there were still bloodstains at the scene of the shooting.
visit to the area that there was apprehension in the community, while
there were still bloodstains at the scene of the shooting.
ADVERTISEMENTA resident, who asked not to be named, said he started hearing gunshots on Sunday.
A resident told our correspondent petrol was generally referred to as ‘water’, or ‘pure water’.
He said,
“We started hearing gunshots in
the evening of Sunday. But it was between 3am and 4am on Monday that
the gunshots intensified.“We did not know what transpired between
the ‘pure water’ sellers and the police, who have a patrol team by the
roadside, until we woke up to see blood and later learnt that some
policemen had been killed.”
Another member of the community
explained that the killing was due to a disagreement between the
policemen and the suspected vandals.
explained that the killing was due to a disagreement between the
policemen and the suspected vandals.
He said the vandals had paid the
policemen some money after they intercepted four tankers of fuel in the
community, but the SARS officers later came to make a separate demand.
policemen some money after they intercepted four tankers of fuel in the
community, but the SARS officers later came to make a separate demand.
“After the policemen from Owutu had been settled, SARS operatives came and said they had not been given their own share.“The vandals asked them to meet their
colleagues who had already been paid. They told the SARS men that they
were not making much money from the business and that their demand was
excessive.“The SARS officers became angry and seized the tankers.”
PUNCH Metro learnt from a police source that the vandals left the trucks and returned to their commander in the creek.
The source said the commander, one OC, was the one coordinating the vandals in the creek.
The source said,
“After SARS officials
took over their trucks, they threatened to take them to their station if
their demands were not met. The vandals went to mobilise themselves and
returned with their boss, OC.“OC then ordered them to open fire on the policemen and that was how three of them died.”
The source identified the deceased cops
attached to the Owutu division as Inspector Yerima and Corporal Adakuro,
adding that one Sergeant Endurance was rescued from the scene and taken
to the Ikorodu General Hospital, from where he was referred to the
Lagos Island General Hospital.
attached to the Owutu division as Inspector Yerima and Corporal Adakuro,
adding that one Sergeant Endurance was rescued from the scene and taken
to the Ikorodu General Hospital, from where he was referred to the
Lagos Island General Hospital.
He said the station immediately received
a call from two other officers, who escaped unhurt, warning of the
possibility of an attack on the station.
a call from two other officers, who escaped unhurt, warning of the
possibility of an attack on the station.
A source told PUNCH Metro that one of the slain cops, Adakuro, was of Ijaw descent, and knew many of the vandals.
It was learnt that the police corporal had called the bluff of the vandals, which aggravated the matter.
His handset, which had the phone numbers of the vandals, was said to have been taken away after the incident.
It was gathered that the Divisional Police Officer of the Owutu station
had reported the case at the command headquarters.The two policemen, who
escaped unhurt, were also asked to report at the command.A senior
police source said,
had reported the case at the command headquarters.The two policemen, who
escaped unhurt, were also asked to report at the command.A senior
police source said,
“The DPO
reported to the CP this morning (Monday). The community has always been
peaceful, but the SARS men came to cause trouble. And now, some of our
men are unaccounted for.”