Four Feared Dead as Civil Defence, Neighbourhood Watch, Traders Clash

No fewer than four persons were tuesday feared dead following a deadly clash between operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Neighbourhood Watch and traders in FESTAC Town, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos State.

The clash, which occurred in front of the LGA secretariat at 41 Road, FESTAC at about 4pm, started when some traders whose stores were demolished at Alakija, mobilised to protest the seizure of their goods.

Tagged illegal structures, the council had ordered the demolition of some of the shops and had directed the Neighbourhood Watch to carry out the demolition, as the traders tried to salvage their wares.

The traders’ attempt to retrieve their goods was rebuffed by the Neighbourhood Watch officials, who packed the wares into their operational vehicles despite pleas from the traders.

Although they had succeeded in carting away the goods belonging the traders, the operation ran into a hitch when they allegedly attempted to seize the machine and money of one of the lottery operators in the area.

However, some area boys and members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), who were waiting for the result of the lottery draw after they had already staked their money, resisted the move.

In order to achieve their aim, the officials were said to have called in two patrol teams of the Operation Mesa (OP Mesa) and they arrested about 10 traders and NURTW members.

Although the OP Mesa initially made to transport the arrested persons to their barracks, they were directed otherwise, So they released them all and thus the clash ensued between the traders and the Neighbourhood Watch personnel.

The angry traders were said to have also trailed the council officials and their goods to the council secretariat, where attempts by operatives of NSCDC to disperse them met stiff resistance.

An eyewitness account had it that one T.O. Olatunji, an operative of the NSCDC, opened fire on the aggrieved traders and shot four of them dead, leaving many with varying degrees of injuries.

Confirming the incident, the Area 'E' Commander, ACP Dan Okoro, said some of the wounded were rushed to some private hospitals, adding that investigation was ongoing and that he had already briefed the Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko.

Meanwhile, the local government Chairman, Ayodele Adewale, in a statement made available to THISDAY, said it was the community policing youth vanguard that attacked council officers and the Neighbourhood Watch.

Adewale, who claimed he narrowly escaped death, said: “Some members of the environmental task force and neighbourhood watchers were performing their lawful duty at Alakija, when some members of the Community Policing Youth Vanguard that was set up by Okoro, came to attack them with dangerous weapons.

"What baffled me was that they even had the effrontery to come to the Local Government Secretariat with guns, machetes and bottles to attack me, inside the Local Government, while I was holding a meeting with the representative of Millennium Development Goals, Mr. Rotimi, who had come from the presidency.

"What surprised me the most is that the police attached to FESTAC Police Station and Area E Command were just watching the drama, refusing to give us protection, and arrest the hoodlums”.