Scores wounded, as 3 carnival revelers hospitalized

By Ediri Ejoh

Hoodlums during the weekend disrupted the activities at the Lagos Carnival, held at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos Island leaving scores injured and three carnival revelers hospitalized.

The event which started around 2pm behind schedule was marred by poor organization and low turnout of fun-seekers. It was later hijacked by uncontrolled crowd who overwhwelmed the few security officials deployed to the venue.

The first attack occurred during the procession of the Oko Faaji Carnival group at the Awolowo Way, Ikoyi , marked as one of the carnival routes.

According to Eye witness account, the attackers who were attracted by the costumes of especially the female carnival revelers came out from the Warder’ Barrack on Awolowo way, to harass them during their procession.

The carnival coordinators who attempted to bring the situation under control, it was learnt were over-powered by the hoodlums, who wielded various dangerous weapons. The attacks went on, as the hoodlums also unleashed mayhem on other carnival groups, including the Obalende and Isale Eko carnival groups who were unaware of the earlier incident.

According to Captain Lateef Hadaji, a coordinator of Oko Faaji carnival group, the carnival train was attacked because the hoodlums intruded into the procession while attempting to sexually molest some of the female dancers.

Hadaji said: “We made several attempts to appease them but we were over-powered by the street urchins who attacked us with dangerous weapons including machetes, axes and broken bottles. More than ten revelers were attacked and some have been hospitalised,” adding that “the attackers also dispossessed some of the carnival revelers of their phones and wallets of some of the dancers.”

However, the officials of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, who later arrived  the scene forty-five minutes later, however took some of the victims to a nearby general hospital for further treatment.

One of the carnival revelers, Benjamin Olatunde, who was injured by hoodlums blamed the inadequate security provided by the state government for the mayhem.

Olatunde said: “It was unfortunate that the Lagos State Government did not put adequate security measures in place to checkmate activities of intruders.”

In another development, the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), venue of the final parade also recorded disruptions by the surging crowd, which overwhelmed the security operatives, immediately after the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola had finished his address.

The street urchins, Vanguard gathered also disrupted performances by other carnival groups who had not performed. Two disk jockeys, Kelexy and Jamalot who were performing during the event were attacked by the hoodlums who pelted both of them with cans of table water. This forced the event to an abrupt end.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that security operatives at the venue later arrested two teenage boys who allegedly had pistols and other dangerous weapons in their possession.