Police Declare Manhunt On Suspected Gang Killers

Lagos State Police Command has declared manhunt for suspected hoodlums, who killed some persons returning from a naming ceremony, last Wednesday, in Ajah.

The manhunt came 24 hours after Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, called on residents in possession of arms illegally to surrender them to the authorities concern or face the full wrath of the law.   Last Wednesday, a street gang shot and killed five persons in Ajah.

The victims were said to belong to a street group on Lagos Island and were returning from a naming ceremony when they were ambushed and killed by a rival gang in a battle of supremacy.

Lagos State Police spokesman, Ken Nwosu, yesterday told newsmen that ‘a total manhunt’ has been declared on the hoodlums. According to Nwosu, “we are studying the root cause of the crisis with a view to bringing those involved to book to serve as a deterrent to others.

“We have also started mopping up arms and ammunitions before the governor made the pronouncement on armament.” A resident of Lagos Island, who spoke with The Guardian blamed politicians for the too many arms in the hands of hoodlums, stressing that politicians armed the hoodlums to enable them intimidate their opponents, but could not withdraw them after the elections.

He disclosed that before the Wednesday killing, one Azeez Otun (a.k.a Ashake) was killed the day former President Goodluck Jonathan came to campaign in Lagos, while another victim, Jide Dosunmu (a.k.a Magdos), was murdered after the postponement of the elections.

He said: “There are too many arms in the hands of the hoodlums and they use them to intimidate innocent citizens and to carry out different crimes.”

According to classified information to security agencies some men simply identified as Yellow, Small Kuramo, Sharon, Olokodana, Ibafo and Rafiu are allegedly responsible for the crisis on Lagos Island.

The Guardian gathered that the deceased were returning from a naming ceremony in a hired bus when rival gang members opened fire on them, killing five occupants of the bus.

The driver of the vehicle and one of the occupants, who pretended to be dead, escaped the attack. The victims were alleged to be working with a branch chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) on the Island.