The fracas that led to the destruction of properties and goods worth millions of naira at Ile Epo market in Agbado/ Oke Odo LCDA was reportedly caused by failure to pay out a lotto game win of N12,000.
Other sources said the amount involved was N3,000 but goods worth millions of naira were lost to the violence.
A senior police officer who led the policemen and officers that contained the mayhem said that one of young boy from Niger had engaged in betting and won N12,000. However, rather than paying him the winning, the man who runs the betting lotto shop gave him N10,000. In anger, the boy brought out a knife and stabbed the man. As a result, the scavengers that live inside the refuse dump near Ile-Epo market, popular called ‘boler boys’ were mobilized and turned it into a Hausa-Yoruba fracas according to Gavel International.
Several lock-up shops were looted and food items worth millions of naira were destroyed. Some parts of the market were set alight.
The police however raided the refuse dump where about 50,000 homeless scavengers also called bolah boys reside and destroyed the shanties some of which were dens of drug peddlers, robbers and other undesirables.
Eyewitness said police also fired live rounds as hoodlums attacked fire brigade teams deployed to the scene but the number of casualties remain unknown.
The Lagos State Command also confirmed the arrest 50 hoodlums in connection with the mayhem. The police, in a statement issued by the command’s spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin, said normalcy has returned to the area.
“Following reports of clashes among some youths and hoodlums in the Ile-Epo area of Lagos State, the DPO Oke-Odo swiftly led his men to the scene, and have since restored normalcy. Over fifty suspects have so far been arrested while the shanties they occupied have been destroyed, effectively dislodging them;
“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Adegoke Fayoade, mni has directed the prompt prosecution of the arrested hoodlums and has equally warned that the Command would decisively deal with anyone found breaching the peace, in accordance with the law.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations), Area Commander Alagbado and other Divisional Police Officers under the Area Command are currently on ground to forestall further breakdown of law and order.”
As at Thursday evening, people still walk in the area with fear, despite the fact that the police had secured the area and are in constant patrol.
