A policeman and a pupil were reportedly killed on Tuesday when some hoodlums clashed with policemen from the Area D Command.
The incident occurred at Akala and Idi-Oro areas of Mushin, Lagos State.
It was gathered that trouble started when a police team raided a shop on Elegba Street, where some hoodlums sold hemp.
An eyewitness told Punch that the police shot tear gas canisters into two private secondary schools, Ansarudeen Comprehensive College and Amazing Grace Secondary School, where some pupils were choked.
A pupil of Amazing Grace, Samuel Okechukwu, who was asthmatic, reportedly died while another pupil, who was running home in the confusion that followed the shootout, was reportedly hit by a vehicle. His leg was broken.
The witness said, “The police had been raiding Akala and Idi-Oro for some weeks now and carrying away bags of hemp. The hoodlums believe that the police resell them. They had been planning to fight back.
“Last night (Monday), a man on Elegba Street took delivery of hemp worth N7m and the police got information about it. Around 11am, the policemen, led by the Area Commander, Area D Mushin, Akinbayo Olusoji, headed for the shop and seized the hemp.
“The residents, who had been enraged by previous raids, mobilised and launched an attack. They threw stones, broken bottles and other items at the policemen.
“The policemen returned with reinforcements. Three people were shot dead. They fired two tear gas canisters into Ansarudeen Comprehensive College on Alhaji Lasisi Street and another one entered into Amazing Grace Secondary School on Elegba Street. Many of the pupils were affected. A boy died in Amazing Grace.”
Another resident recalled how a policeman was killed.
“There are black spots in Idi-Oro where the hoodlums smoke hemp freely. The police collect settlement from them. The police had gone there two weeks ago and got some settlements. They returned today (Tuesday) and the boys resisted and that was how the fight started.
“The hoodlums brought out guns and engaged the police in a shootout. It was like a war. The police had killed two of them before a cop was seized and stabbed to death. They brought out his intestines with bottles,” he said.
State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, confirmed the incident.
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