Crime
Police nabs 30 persons at Mushin
- as houses, shops set ablaze
By OKOSUN DENNIS
Hell was let loose on Monday at Mushin, a Lagos suburb, as youths engaged in a free- for-all fight, leading to setting ablaze of houses and shops where food items are sold.
National Daily gathered that over 30 youths were arrested in Idi-Oro, Mushin.
Trouble started when youth from Alamutu Street and Alaka-Elegba reportedly engaged themselves in a free for all resulting into looting and burning of shops and buildings.
National Daily gathered from a police source that youths numbering over 100 invaded Idi-Oro market and allegedly demanded money from the traders but when the youth resisted them, they were attacked.
It was learnt that dangerous weapons like machetes, axe, rods and bottles were fully deployed during the fight that lasted for several minutes before men of the Lagos State Police Command quell the fight.
According to the police, “About three shops and a building were burning when police arrived at the scene while several goods like beans, bags of garri, fufu and palm oil among others destroyed.
As the fight lasted, hoodlums used the opportunity to engage in wanton looting of food items stocked in the market.
However operatives of Rapid Response Squad were able to dispersed the hoodlums with tear gas leading to the arrest of about 30 of them.
A victim, who owns a chemist shop, narrated how his shop was burnt because he refused to pay N600 when the illegal levy collectors came to his shop this morning.
He called on government to check the activities of street urchins who gang up to collect unauthorized levies. He disclosed that this was the third time his shop would be burnt over crisis in Idi-Oro.
Residents say among the 30 youths arrested were leaders and gang members who were involved in the fracas.
As a result of the crisis, the entire Mushin market has been closed down while sellers deserted for fear of further attacks.
Meanwhile, the police authorities are making more deployment to check further escalation of the crisis.
