Over 100 gunmen attacked a riverine community in Egan Oriomi Otto Awori Local Council Development Area of Ojo, setting several houses on fire. The attack resulted in the tragic death of a 15-month-old baby, who was burnt beyond recognition. Additionally, at least ten individuals were shot, with others sustaining deep machete wounds.
The father of the burnt baby, Taiwo Israel, explained tearfully that he had left his wife and two children at home while he went out for work. He received a call from his wife around 9:30 p.m. reporting gunshots from cultists in the area. She called again at 1 a.m. to inform him that their building was set on fire, but she had managed to escape without their sleeping baby. Israel’s father-in-law, who attempted to rescue the baby, was attacked with a cutlass and is currently hospitalized.
The attack is believed to be linked to a dispute over the installation of a traditional ruler in the community. Residents claimed that a stranger was wrongfully installed as the traditional ruler, and tensions have been brewing between two families over the chieftaincy position.
Residents blamed the attack on the local government and some politicians in the area, alleging that they wrongfully installed a non-indigene as the traditional ruler. Despite efforts by the indigenes to resolve the matter through legal means, including a tribunal set up by the Lagos State Government, the installation of the traditional ruler favored by the politicians was forced upon them.
In the aftermath of the attack, many residents whose houses were spared were seen packing their belongings, preparing to leave the community out of fear of another attack. Armed policemen have been deployed to the community to prevent further invasions by gunmen. Residents are calling on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene and address the situation before more lives are lost.
