A clash in the Akala and Idi Oro areas of Mushin LGA, Lagos between policemen of Area D Command and hoodlums in the area has left at least five people dead.
One of those reported dead was a Junior Secondary School 2 student, Samuel Okechukwu, who was said to be an asthma patient.
Okechukwu, who was said to be an only child, reportedly died after policeman shot tear gas canisters into his school, Amazing Grace School.
The police also reportedly shot tear gas canisters into another private school in the area, Ansarudeen Comprehensive College.
Three residents and a policeman reportedly died as a result of the fracas.
According to The Punch, trouble started when some policemen had gone to Elegba Street in the area on Monday to disperse some Indian hemp smokers.
The policemen were said to be acting on intelligence that a man on the street had procured hemp valued at N7 million and succeeded in seizing it.
The hoodlums smoking hemp in the area were said to have resisted the policemen, causing the policemen to return with reinforcements.
The paper quoted an unnamed source as saying that the hoodlums brought out guns to resist the police team led by the Area Commander, Olusoji Akinbayo.
“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 N 7 m 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,” the source said.
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