Traditional Ruler, Community Debunk Claims of Extra-Judicial Killings in Ijora

Chiemelie Ezeobi

Following recent claims that a police inspector Ibrahim Odufarasin shot some youths at the Ijora area of Lagos State, the traditional Ruler, Oba Fatai Ojora and the Community Development Association (CDA) has debunked such.

Also corroborating, the community leaders and elders of the Ijora community said the inspector instead of being the aggressor was the victim of a planned attack.

According to Ojora, the inspector was actually returning home due to a distress call that his house was on fire, when he ran into a crowd of youths celebrating the birth of a baby.

He said Odufarasin was attacked by the youths who saw his presence as a threat, given that he has helped to reduce violent crimes amongst the youth to the barest minimum in the area. After that incident, the traditional ruler said he called on the two parties to settle their matter amicably.

Also, a medical practitioner at Ijora Badia, Dr. Quadri Barakat, said Odufarasin’s problem with some of the youths in the area may not be unconnected with his desire to rid Ijora community of criminals.

He said the inspector was brought up in the community and he had in 2014 formed a vigilante group with other well-meaning youths and elders of the community to fish out criminals in the area.
This, he alleged has not gone down well with the criminals and their parents, who he said had in 2014, vandalised no fewer than 50 vehicles and equally looted several shops and killed three youths in the area.