Lagos State Government has appealed to the NURTW to desist from destruction, which gives credence to insinuations that Lagos allows hoodlums and criminals.
On Thursday, opposition gang members attacked each other, leaving many injured, including traders and commuters. One person is feared dead while several numbers were macheted.
Guns, cutlasses, knives, clubs, and other dangerous weapons were openly used during the fracas that paralyzed business activities. Parts of Lagos Island, including Idumota, Kosoko, Oluwole, Martins and Balogun, witnessed the bloody clashes. The disturbance has spilt into Friday.
In a statement, Gbenga Oyerinde, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Central Business Districts, urged warring factions to embrace peace. Oyerinde attributed the violence to “infiltration of the area by street gangs and hoodlums from other parts of the state into the island under the guise of membership in NURTW”.
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The aide noted that the government “is doing all within its power to restore the peace of the area.” Oyerinde advised members of the public to be vigilant and security-conscious while within the Lagos Island Business District. “Security operatives have been mandated to arrest and prosecute anybody breaching the peace of the area,” he said. Oyerinde further told security operatives not to be discouraged in their efforts to protect lives and property.
NURTW factions are known to frequently engage in free-for-all fights over power tussles at different locations and parks. The Lagos government is accused of failing to arrest and prosecute the rioters.
