Two youths shot dead in Lagos Island mayhem

Policemen at Okepopo Street, Lagos Island

No fewer than two youths were reportedly shot dead by some miscreants, popularly known as ‘Area boys’ from Okepopo area on Lagos Island in different attacks against their opponents.

Also, six other persons who were shot but escaped death, were at different hospitals on the Island after the attack by Okepopo boys, who invaded some streets, looking for their opponents.

Residents and traders on the Island were said to be living in fear as the notorious boys were said to always attack unexpectedly, looting goods and shooting sporadically at people seen around or believed to be trying to obstruct them.

The dead victims include one Small Shakiru, shot at Agarawu area on Monday night and another youth whose name was not known as at the time of this report. He was stabbed in the left eye while returning to his house at Onola area at the weekend.

Others with gun wound include a ‘Keke Marwa’ driver, Saheed Obiripo. who was shot at Haffiner; an Igbo trader at Andrew Street. who refused to release his bag to the boys; a woman returning from her shop on Saturday evening, another trader and two other youths, Sunday and Tandor, who were believed to be harbouring some of Okepopo boys’ opponents.

According to a source, one of the Okepopo boys attended a social gathering at Luther area on the Island some weeks back and was stabbed in the neck by another youth from Onola area, which prompted the Okepopo boys to threaten a reprisal attack.

The source said: “Some days later, the Okepopo boys started attacking Onola boys but suffered serious casualties because they met stiff opposition. As a result, they re-planned their strategy and started attacking people with locally-made guns and used the opportunity to rob.

“The notorious boys now operate at Evans, Massey, Palm-church, Swamp, Apogbe, Olushi, Agarawu, Tom-Jones, Wahab Folawiyo, Nnamdi Azikwe, Alli, Haffner, Onikepo, Obadina, Onola and Aroloya Streets”, he added.

While fielding questions from crime reporters at the police officers’ mess, Ikeja during a media conference, the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said the reported incident that many traders were not opening their shops for fear of incessant attack was an exaggeration, adding that the menace of the notorious youths on the Island “is not anything that is unusual”.