A lottery agent, Sheriff Alasia, was on Monday shot dead during a brutal cult clash at the Fadeyi end of Ikorodu Road, Lagos State.Our correspondent, who visited the area, learnt that the killing was as a result of a clash between thugs loyal to the All Progressives Congress on the one hand, and thugs loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party on the other.
A resident said the 30-year-old victim was married and had a son.
The deceased, who was a Premier Lotto agent, was said to have been caught in the gunfire on Ikorodu Road, and died on the spot.
PUNCH Metro had reported that the Mushin area of Lagos had been a hotbed of violent cult clashes between two groups- Toba gang and Toheeb boys.
While the Toba gang is loyal to the APC, Toheeb’s boys are of the PDP.
The two groups were said to be engaged in a battle for supremacy ahead of the 2015 elections.
Our correspondent learnt that the fight started on Saturday afternoon after some hoodlums staged a protest for the release of their leader, Joel Oloruntoba, aka Toba, who was facing murder charges at a state high court.
Toba’s boys were said to have gone on the rampage, tearing all political posters and banners belonging to the APC.
A source said, “They went on the rampage tearing the posters because they believe that Toba is an APC boy and for the past six months, the party has refused to come to his aid or assist in his release.
“They were shouting, ‘No Toba, no APC, no election’ They were breaking bottles. ”
Another source told our correspondent that by Sunday morning, around 9am, three men belonging to Toheeb’s gang came on a bike and led a raid on Toba’s boys.
“The three men, Aloma, Akeem, aka No case, and Adeyemi, came with some mobile police officers to arrest some Toba boys because of the Saturday disturbance.
“But what surprised everyone was that one of them grabbed the rifle of one of the officers and started shooting. This made people angry and they countered with equal firepower. This disrupted all activities in the area.
“In fact, church services were brought to abrupt end, and people sustained gunshot wounds,” the source added.
Some hoodlums on Akala Street were said to have unleashed terror on some residents, vandalising property and breaking vehicle windscreens.
Some of the hoodlums were also said to have used the opportunity to loot shops and dispossess residents of their valuables.
A septuagenarian, who pleaded anonymity, lamented the growing spate of violence in the area and asked the authorities to mediate in the crisis.
“About 16 policemen were here on Saturday evening when all this started, yet the violence has continued unabated. It is basically a fight between the APC and the PDP thugs and these politicians must sit down and iron out their differences amicably.
“For now, it appears one faction is having the upper hand because the police have also been compromised and that is making the other faction angry, I believe you understand what I mean,” he said.
When our correspondent left the area around 3pm, there was still tension and uncertainty in the community as the roads were deserted and policemen were seen patrolling the Railway Line and some parts of Ereko Street.
However, around 7pm, our correspondent learnt another resident, identified only as Tunde, had been beheaded in a calculated reprisal attack. A source said, “They first riddled his body with bullets before beheading him; they also took his head with them. What we have left here is his stump.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, regretted Alasia’s death, adding that the police did all it could to forestall it.
He said, “It was a gang fight that resulted in the death of a man whose identity we have yet to ascertain. The police have been monitoring the activities in the area for the past three days, to ensure no life was lost. But unfortunately, we don’t know how those boys still succeeded in killing that guy. It’s quite unfortunate.
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