Police reopen Lagos expressway after communal clash, one dead, seven arrested

The Lagos State Police Command has reopened the Lagos-Badagry Expressway at the Otto-Ijanikin axis following a communal clash between youths of Ijanikin and Otto-Awori communities.

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In a statement posted on X on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed that one man, Akinyemi Akin, was reportedly shot during the clash and later died at a hospital.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohundare Jimoh, personally led a joint team of police operatives and tactical squads to clear the blockage and reopen the expressway at about 09:00 a.m.

“Normalcy has been fully restored in the affected communities, and members of the public are going about their lawful businesses peacefully,” the statement read.

According to the police, seven suspects from both communities have been arrested in connection with the clash. A locally made pistol and two live cartridges were recovered from one of the suspects.

The suspects have given voluntary statements detailing their roles in the incident.

According to the police, preliminary investigations indicated that the victim, Mr Akin, was likely shot during a shootout between the rival youth groups before the arrival of police.

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“It is incorrect and untrue that the deceased died from a stray bullet fired by the police,” the statement said.

The statement noted that Mr Jimoh has directed a full-scale investigation led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, and deployed additional officers to sustain peace and prevent further breakdowns of law and order.

Hotbed of crisis

Ijanikin and Otto-Awori communities have experienced repeated outbreaks of violence, primarily linked to cult supremacy clashes and local disputes.

Reports have shown that rival confraternities, including the Aiye and Eiye, have often engaged in violent clashes involving guns, machetes, cutlasses, and charms.

Also, innocent residents have occasionally been killed, including Kamoru Lasisi, a Lagos State University undergraduate, and Lateef Atanda, a tiler.

In August 2022, hoodlums disrupted activities at the Shoe/Bags and Textile Market in Ijanikin, blocking the Badagry Expressway and injuring commuters.

Reports linked the unrest to a dispute between two local monarchs that escalated into violent acts by supporters.

In September 2022, police convened representatives of the warring communities at the Area ‘K’ Command headquarters.

Community leaders were urged to provide intelligence to the Ijanikin Divisional Police to identify and apprehend cultists, especially in known black spots such as Vespa Bus Stop and under the Ijanikin bridge.

Earlier interventions also included arrests and weapons recovery. In July 2021, police arrested suspected cultists Taiye Israel and Isiaka Afeez in Oto-Awori, seizing an axe, cutlasses, charms, and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.

Tactical units and strike teams were deployed to raid black spots and criminal hideouts.

Despite these efforts, residents report that sporadic violence persists, with cultists relocating ahead of police operations. Markets, transportation routes, and commercial activities continue to be disrupted, sustaining fear in the communities.

Police have intensified intelligence-led operations to curb cultism and dismantle networks capable of fabricating firearms locally.