By EVELYN USMAN
LAGOS—Two persons were killed and several others injured, weekend, in a fight that broke out between factions of social miscreants over control of a canoe park in Ilaje, Bariga, area of Lagos.
Three of the injured as at yesterday, were reportedly in critical condition in an undisclosed hospital.
It was gathered that trouble stated after one of the factions stormed the canoe park at 10, Opere Street, close to the foot of Third Mainland Bridge, last Thursday, with dangerous weapons, to overthrow those collecting tolls from the canoe operators. But their action met stiff resistance, thereby leading to a free -for-all.
The fight, as gathered, continued next day, where two persons were reportedly stabbed to death. Just as residents were smarting from the worrisome disturbance, a renewed fight broke out yesterday again, where the ear of a member of one of the warring factions was reportedly chopped off.
Some Christian faithful, according to eye-witnesses were injured in the scuffle and while some vehicles' windscreens were smashed by the fighters.
Contacted, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braid, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the fight was between loyalists of Ibro and Shagi, adding that policemen had condoned off the area to wade off any reprisal attack.
She further disclosed that two robbery suspects were earlier gunned down in the area by policemen during a shoot-out, at the end of which a locally made gun and two live ammunition were recovered.
Vanguard Nigeria