A wave of violence swept through the Oreta community in Ikorodu, Lagos State, after suspected cultists allegedly shot dead a 22-year-old man, Abdulmalik Bakare, and two other residents during a late-night attack.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, has thrown the community into mourning, with residents recounting how armed assailants stormed the area on motorcycles and opened fire indiscriminately.
Speaking on Sunday, the father of the deceased, Tunde Bakare, said six suspects had been arrested in connection with the killings.
He added that the Divisional Police Officer had assured the family that a thorough investigation would be conducted to bring those responsible to justice.
When our correspondent visited the community, residents were still grappling with the aftermath of the attack, while business activities remained subdued.
Residents linked the violence to an earlier incident involving a trailer driver and some youths at Gbogbo Road.
According to a resident, Fasasi, the crisis began in the afternoon when a trailer transporting a container was allegedly stopped by youths demanding money from the driver.
The driver reportedly maintained that his employers had already paid N350,000 to some individuals at a nearby junction.
During the ensuing confrontation, a youth who climbed onto the trailer was allegedly trapped under its tyre and died.
“The matter was said to have been resolved by the police as an accident, but later in the evening some youths mobilised and returned to the area,” the resident said.
Fasasi alleged that the armed group arrived around 8 p.m., riding motorcycles and shooting sporadically at residents.
According to him, Abdulmalik was preparing to close his shop when he was gunned down.
He further claimed that a physically challenged child eating nearby and another individual who had come to buy fish were also killed during the attack.
The identities of the other victims had yet to be confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
Residents said the shooting triggered widespread panic, forcing many people to flee while several shops and business premises were vandalised.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Lagos State Police Command were unsuccessful. Calls and text messages sent to the command’s spokesperson, CSP Abimbola Adebisi, were not answered as of press time.