Matilda Omonaiye/
LAGOS — A dispute over an alleged ₦200 levy demanded from a tricycle rider spiralled into deadly violence in the Ikola Road axis of Lagos on Thursday, leaving three people dead, two others injured and buildings in flames before security forces moved in to restore order.
The Lagos State Police Command said preliminary findings indicated that the violence began after suspected area boys stopped a tricycle rider and demanded ₦200 from him.
The rider reportedly refused to pay, prompting the group to allegedly seize his tricycle.
What began as a seemingly minor roadside confrontation soon took a deadly turn when the rider returned to the area with some people, triggering a violent clash between the two groups.
By the time the confrontation subsided, three people had reportedly been killed, two others injured and some buildings set ablaze in the ensuing mayhem.
The dead and injured were evacuated to the Military Hospital, Yaba, for medical attention and other necessary procedures, according to the police.
The gravity of the violence drew the Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, CP Tijani Olaiwola Fatai, and the Commander, 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Afolabi Owolabi, to the scene.
The two security chiefs inspected the affected area, assessed the extent of the violence and coordinated the deployment of security personnel to prevent reprisals or a fresh outbreak of hostilities.
In a major security mobilisation, personnel drawn from the Rapid Response Squad, Lagos State Taskforce, Tactical Squad, Police Mobile Force, Eko Strike Force and Vehicle Crime Reduction Unit were deployed to Ikola Road.
Police said the operatives would remain in the area for continuous monitoring and maintenance of law and order.
“The situation is firmly under control, and efforts are ongoing to prevent any further escalation,” the Command said.
The police have also opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the confrontation, including the alleged extortion attempt that reportedly triggered the violence.
The Command vowed that anyone found responsible for the killings, arson or other criminal acts arising from the clash would be brought to justice.
“The Command has commenced an investigation into the incident and will ensure that anyone found culpable is made to face the full weight of the law,” it stated.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, who confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday, appealed to residents to remain calm and cooperate with security personnel deployed to the troubled area.
She also cautioned members of the public against circulating unverified information or taking actions capable of inflaming tensions while investigations continue.
Residents with credible information that could help investigators establish the identities of those behind the violence were urged to make such information available to the police.
The heavy security presence is expected to remain around Ikola Road as authorities work to consolidate the restored calm and forestall retaliatory attacks.
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