Lagos: 50 Suspects Arrested, Shanties Pulled Down As Police Restore Normalcy In Ile-Epo
Kemisola Oye
OVER fifty (50) suspects were reportedly arrested and Shanties were pulled down in the Ile-Epo area of Lagos as Police restored normalcy following clashes among some youths and hoodlums.
SP Benjamin Hundeyin, Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, in a statement, said following a report of skirmishes, the DPO Oke-Odo swiftly led his men to the scene and has since restored normalcy.
He further stated that over fifty suspects have so far been arrested while the shanties they occupied have been pulled down, effectively dislodging them.
He also said that the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Adegoke Fayoade, has directed the prompt prosecution of the arrested hoodlums and has equally warned that the Command would decisively deal with anyone found breaching the peace, in accordance with the law.
Our correspondent reports that a section of the Ile-Epo Market was set on fire as hoodlums clashed with traders in the market over bet money. The crisis reportedly started Wednesday evening and escalated Thursday.
“One of the traders in the market played lotto (bet Naija) and won N13,000 but was given N11,000 and because of the N2,000 balance which he was not given, a fight started.
“The hoodlums from the nearby market used the opportunity to start looting and burning property in the market. They looted a lot of shops and carted away food items and valuables.
“As I am speaking to you, we cannot enter the market, but police are currently there trying to calm the situation, I can hear sounds of tear gas. We have lost millions of naira in the market,” a trader, Aminu Muhammad Sa’id, told our correspondent.
Eighteen-Eleven Media reports that the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations), Area Commander Alagbado and other Divisional Police Officers under the Area Command are currently on ground to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
Eighteen-Eleven Media
