Parents Fled, Abandoning Their Baby As Youths Clash In Lekki

A clash between the youths of the Egun community and their Yoruba counterparts of the Otodo Gbame, an Egun community in the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos State happened on Wednesday when the Yoruba youths set fire to buildings  in the area at about 8am.

PUNCH Metro reports that nothing less than 200 structures were destroyed and burnt.

The Egun community people accused the current residents of the land of not leaving their houses and called them land thieves.

It is reported that two persons were said to have been injured during the clash, while the area was quickly deserted as the fire raged. Some residents salvaged whatever of their property from the fire that they could.

 

A policeman on the team who was on the scene said that they rescued a two day old baby from one of the abandoned building as the child’s parents fled out of fear for their lives leaving their baby behind.

“When the structures were set ablaze, the mother and the father of the baby fled. It was the cry of the baby that drew the attention of policemen to that room. The baby was locked inside the house. The baby was rescued and reunited with her parents. Nobody was killed, but about three persons were injured. The entire community was razed.” he said

Hunsu, a resident of the community who was a witness says that the crisis started initially on Sunday when some hoodlums came to their area and accused them of illegally occupying the lands and houses. On there refusal to move out they returned and set fire to their homes.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said five suspects had been arrested in connection with the crisis.