The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of seven persons after a deadly clash between rival youths in the Ijanikin and Otto areas of the state.
The disturbance, which erupted along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway corridor, reportedly resulted in the death of a young man identified as Akinyemi Omo Akin.
He was said to have sustained gunshot wounds during the confrontation and later died while receiving treatment at a hospital.
The violence caused heavy gridlock at the Otto-Ijanikin axis, with the expressway shut for hours as armed youths allegedly exchanged gunfire, leaving commuters stranded and businesses disrupted.
In a statement on Saturday, the command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Abimbola Adebisi, said calm had been restored and traffic resumed after security operatives intervened.
According to her, the Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, personally coordinated a joint operation involving patrol teams and tactical units to disperse the hoodlums and clear the barricaded roadway.
She dismissed reports suggesting that the deceased was struck by a stray bullet from police officers, noting that preliminary findings pointed elsewhere.
“Before officers arrived at the scene, residents informed the police that the rival groups had enlisted suspected cult members who engaged in a shootout.
The victim was likely caught in the crossfire,” Adebisi explained.
The police spokesperson further disclosed that seven suspects were currently in custody in connection with the incident, adding that tactical and anti-riot teams were continuing search operations in surrounding communities and bush paths to apprehend others who fled.
She assured the public of the command’s resolve to bring those responsible to justice and urged residents to remain law-abiding as investigations continue.
