Several people were injured yesterday and 30 vehicles vandalized in Ilupeju, Lagos when street urchins, popularly called Area boys engaged one another in a free-for-all during a new year carnival.

The clash forced many people to abandon their homes as it lasted several hours. The feud which started at about 12 am on Saturday lasted till about 5.00 am before a team of policemen and anti-riot stormed the area and dispersed the hoodlums with tear gas canisters.

Daily Sun reliably gathered that there was a new year jam on Iseyin Street before some hoodlums infiltrated the carnival. As at press time, the cause of the fight was not known but an unconfirmed report said fighting broke out when a popular politician gave out monetary gift to assist the youths in purchasing drinks.

However, some aggrieved youths who felt the money was not judiciously spent decided to disrupt the carnival and engaged themselves in a free-for-all.
Another account had it that the fight started when one of the celebrants used his vehicle to break the wall of an adjoining street and the youths of the street whose wall was broken decided to distrupt the carnival.
An eyewitness who simply identified himself as Jamiu told Daily Sun that during the fight substances suspected to be acid, machette, tear gas and cudgels were freely used.

He said: “My family had to run away from our street and took refuse in our family house in Palm Groove.”
He said when he returned home at about 7.00 am, he saw over 30 vehicles parked along the street and adjoining ones badly damaged. Another resident, Muyiwa Ademola said the windscreen of his Toyota Camry car that was parked outside the compound was smashed. He said he was afraid to live in the area which was hitherto peaceful.
He wants the state government to ban carnivals saying: “Each year we must experience one casualty or the other during carnivals. In this one, I know about five persons that are lying critically ill in the hospital because of the injury they sustained during the carnival attack.”

Continuing, he said government should not fold its arms and watch hoodlums take advantage of carnivals to unleash terror on innocent citizens. However, the state Police spokesman, Mr. Frank Mba, who confirmed the attack said only one person was injured but refused to comment on the damaged vehicles. He admitted that some youths staged a carnival jam at the Ilupeju area which resulted to a fight but that the policemen raced to the place and took control of the situation. He said the Police had earlier warned parents and guardians to restrain their children and wards from being aggressive during carnivals.

He said no arrest had been made but advised that anyone who had any information about the perpetrators of the trouble should inform the Police. In another development, the Ekiti State police command has carried out an onslaught on the suspected hideout of a notorious armed robbery gang. The gang leader and seven others were arrested while assorted rifles and other dangerous weapons were recovered from them. The newly posted Commissioner of Police Mr. Olayinka Balogun said 3 parcels of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, 5 guns loaded with 17 live cartridges and N312,500 were recovered from the suspect.

Also recovered were three face mask, police and army uniforms, torchlights with which the gang use in terrorizing the state. Other items recovered were assorted wristwatches, generator and electronics. Balogun said the new strategy of carrying out onslaught to robbers den is a continuous exercise. The police boss who was talking tough warned that his mission in the state was to flush out armed robbers and other criminals.

“And I mean it. There is no going back on my promise to cleanse the state of hoodlums, especially, armed robbers.
He warned robbers to either repent or relocate from the state as he has come to deal with the.
He also warned parents and guardians to restrain their children and wards to desist from crime as he would not spare any criminal.

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Posted: at 10-01-2011 11:28 AM (13 years ago) | Gistmaniac

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