By Evelyn Usman

LAGOS—Some rampaging Hausa men damaged a building belonging to Vee-Vee Limited, yesterday, in Oke-Afa, a Lagos suburb, over allegation that an Hausa man had been held hostage in the building since Wednesday.

Vanguard gathered that the Hausa man allegedly held hostage is a scrap dealer.

Sources claimed he was invited by someone from the building, which housed a gymnastic and swimming pool, to come and buy some metal.

Apprehension, however, set in following his disappearance while his cart was said to have remained outside the building located on Kayode Adebanji Street, Ashamu Estate.

Some of his friends and relatives claimed that the scrap dealer contacted them on phone and informed them that he had been abducted and was being held hostage in the building.

His alleged disappearance sparked a protest yesterday, as about  200 Hausa men reportedly besieged the building and destroyed anything they laid their hands on.

Shop owners hurriedly closed for the day, while residents remained indoors, until policemen from Ejigbo Division dispersed them.

When Vanguard visited the scene, an Armoured Personnel Carrier and six police vans, including that belonging to men of the OP MESSA, were sighted.

The Divisional Police Officers in charge of Ejigbo and Isolo divisions were also sighted at the scene.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, described the cause of the uproar as misinformation, saying “it was a case of suspected abduction. We are on it and have ensured that the situation does not escalate.”