All rumours; no attack anywhere—Police

By Esther Onyegbula

Hoodlums, yesterday, threatened to burn down shops owned by Igbo traders in Oshodi and Odunade-Orile markets in Lagos, over accusation that they did not vote for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, party during last Saturday’s elections.

Between 7a.m. and 8am, some of the hoodlums reportedly stormed Brown Street, Oshodi, Akpasa and Market Street in the densely-populated Ajegunle, and Odunade Market in Orile, in an attempt to carry out their threats.

This forced traders to lock up and return to their respective abodes.

Police men and members of the Lagos State Task Force at Oshodi

A trader at Oshodi, Jeffery Uwakwe, said: “When I came to the market this morning (yesterday), the entire place was in disarray, as thugs were everywhere brandishing dangerous weapons, threatening and attacking traders.

“Because of the chaos everywhere we couldn’t open our stores for the better part of the day.”

Before reports of the attack, text messages had been sent to relatives and friends of an imminent attack on Igbo traders.

…Police’s assurance

However, when Vanguard visited the affected markets, calm had been restored, with a heavy presence of Military and Police patrols.

Meanwhile, Lagos State Police Command said there were no attacks at any market in Lagos by hoodlums.

The command, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, said: “The Command wishes to debunk, in its entirety, the rumour on social media that a group of boys, popularly called Area Boys, are attacking Igbo traders at Oshodi, preventing them from opening their shops.

“Although the Command received distress calls from concerned Nigerians, whose apprehensions were understandably heightened by disturbing rumours emanating from some social media platforms, the Command swiftly and massively deployed its personnel drawn from various units to Oshodi and environs to assuage the feelings of residents and further assure Lagosians of its readiness to decisively deal with any person or group of persons who attempts to breach the public peace.”

https://newlive.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/police-debunk-social-media-report-on-killings-in-jos/

Also, Chairman of Lagos State Task Force, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, corroborated the command’s position, advising parents to monitor activities of their wards, as anyone caught fomenting trouble in the state would be dealt with.

He said: “The agency and other security outfits are on ground, using patrol vans and power bikes to patrol every nooks and crannies of the entire Oshodi area to forestall any possibility of breakdown of law and order.”