Residents and traders on Okoya Street in the Ajegunle area of Lagos State have lamented the robbery attack that allegedly led to the death of two guards and the burglary of many shops.
The attack, which reportedly happened around 2am on Tuesday, was said to have been a reprisal by the robbers against a vigilance group contracted to guard the community.
PUNCH Metro had reported on May 8, 2018, that a salesman, identified as Obinna, was allegedly killed by a police stray bullet during a street fight involving some youths and hoodlums who invaded Okoya Street.
The hoodlums, reportedly identified as Cemetery Boys, had allegedly been robbing and terrorising residents.
Our correspondent learnt that in a bid to curb the attacks by the hoodlums, the vigilance group had engaged them for about three days.
A member of the vigilance group, Kamoru Lateef, alleged that the Tuesday robbers were Cemetery Boys, adding that they were led by one Kaka.
Lateef also said the hoodlums, who were armed with guns and other weapons allegedly killed two guards, identified as Jesse Onanuba and Isa.
He said, “The Cemetery Boys killed two members of our group. They shot Isa and Jesse Onanuba. When they killed Jesse, they cut his two hands and private parts. They shot Isa in the chest.
“Before this attack, the Cemetery Boys had robbed a resident of Okoya of his mobile phone. After he reported to us, two members of our group went on a peace meeting to retrieve the phone.
“They stabbed the peacemakers with daggers and we reported the matter to the Layeni Police Station.
“It was after this incident that they attacked us. I saw them burgled some shops and stole goods and other property. Some residents and vigilance group members came out to protect the community, but we never knew they had guns. It was too late when the boys knew that they had guns; and that was how Isa and Jesse were killed.”
Our correspondent gathered that the family of the deceased had yet to locate the corpses of their sons.
The eldest brother of late Jesse, Christian Chukwunedu, said he did not know how to break the news of his brother’s death to his parents.
“The police have not made any arrest; they have refused to provide the remains of my brother; I want the government to investigate this incident because I want justice for my brother.”
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A 35-year-old bar owner, Ejiro Omoniyi, said she lost N400,000 to the hoodlums.”
The state police spokesman, CSP Chike Oti, said, “There is neither record of murder at Layeni nor any other police station in the Ajegunle area. If there is any such case, we encourage residents to report to the police so that proper investigation can be done.”
