There was pandemonium at Ilaje area along the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos State on Wednesday when suspected hoodlums stormed the suburb and burnt houses.
The hoodlums also vandalised vehicles and allegedly shot residents of the area.
The incident is coming barely 24 hours after armed youths engaged one another in a supremacy battle in the Ajah area of the state.
According to our investigation, it was learnt that the hoodlums clashed over the control of petty businesses in the area.
The fight has been on for a long time between the the up town boys residing in Ilaje along the Lekki-Epe Expressway and another faction at Ajah.
The hoodlums are said to be fighting over the control of motor parks and other sundry businesses in the area.
According to a source: “About 7.30am on Wednesday, unidentified young men numbering about 20 stormed Ilaje with dangerous weapons like cutlasses, daggers and they burnt down houses.”
According to the source, the crisis would have degenerated but for the quick intervention of policemen attached to the Rapid Response Squad and Area J Police Command who employed the use of teargas.
The crisis caused traffic jam as commuters were stranded for hours.
Commercial buses conveying passengers to Ajah refused to ply the route.
Ngozi Braide, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, confirmed the incident.
Briade stated that a thorough investigation has begun and two of the hoodlums have been arrested.
She said: “Policemen from different formations arrived the scene and arrested two youths with pump-action rifles.
“They have been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad at command headquarters.”
Braide said the command regrets the activities of hoodlums who take the laws into their hands.
She said: “The policemen from the Area J Police Command have been in a meeting with the factions since Tuesday.
“The meeting was expected to continue on Wednesday when this ugly incident happened.”
Gang clashes over control of petty businesses is a recurring incident in the state’s suburbs.
This year, it was reported how armed young men engaged one another at the Ebute-Meta area of the state.
Residents are usually caught in the cross fire, with property worth millions of naria destroyed.
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