20 Feared Dead as Gunmen Invade Lagos Communities

• Schools, markets, shops shut indefinitely

Gboyega Akinsanmi

In what was described as a reprisal, a group of gunmen yesterday invaded two communities – Elegbete and Igbolomu – in Ikorodu area of Lagos from waterfronts, allegedly killing at least 20 residents.

While it confirmed the gruesome attack on the communities and their residents, the Lagos State Police Command debunked reports that the invasion by the gunmen claimed 20 persons as alleged by some residents.

But due to the invasion launched early yesterday, a resident of Igbo Olomu told THISDAY that the two communities were deserted, thereby compelling residents, students and public servants among others to stay at home.
In a phone conversation, the resident added that schools, shops, markets and other business centres were indefinitely shut down due to the invasion, which he said were targeted at some community leaders.

According to the resident, at least 20 persons, including community leaders, were killed in the calculated attack.
But a detachment of soldiers has been deployed to the two communities to restore public order.

He therefore described the invasion as a reprisal, which he said was carried out after a taskforce on oil theft and pipeline vandalism allegedly killed two gunmen and arrested four others in a hotel in Elegbete.

The source explained that the reprisal was “launched after the gunmen successfully carried out armed operations on the two communities. After the operation, the gunmen went to a hotel. But some community leaders provided information about the whereabouts of the gunmen to the security taskforce in the area.

“The taskforce reinforced and went to the hotel where the gunmen were hiding. There was shootout at the hotel, as a result, two gunmen were killed; four arrested and others escaped in the process,” the resident said.

But early yesterday, the resident confirmed that the gunmen invaded the communities again, shooting sporadically; moving from house to house, and targeting some community leaders, whom they believed disclosed information about their whereabouts to the taskforce.

Another resident told THISDAY that the affected areas “are Elegbete and some neighbouring communities,” noting that the gunmen actually struck between 8a.m. and 10a.m. monday.

The resident confirmed that gunshots were intense in the communities as residents were running for safety while schools and businesses were hurriedly shut down by their owners to avert being caught in the invasion.

He said streets were “now deserted; people fled home. Schools, shops, markets and other business centres in the areas were now like ghost town as people deserted them. Parents hurried ran to school to take their children home while the police and army have taken over the area to provide security.”

He disclosed that the gunmen invaded a school in Elegbete, but allowed the children “to go unhurt, warning them not to return to the school again. Residents are fleeing Elegbete. People are relocating to Agbede and Igbo-Olomu with their luggage. Some were seen with mattresses.”
Speaking on phone with journalists, the Police Public