As the nation witnessed another round of industrial action called by the Nigeria Labour Congress, armed hoodlums yesterday took to major areas in Lagos metropolis to prevent people from going about freely. At the end, no fewer than five soldiers and a police officer were said to have been injured and are presently on the danger list following the injuries they sustained when some suspected street urchins attacked their vehicle at the Iyana Ipaja end of Lagos State.
This is even as some armed rampaging hoodlums yesterday stormed the ever busy Maryland bus stop end of Ikorodu Road to disperse workers who came out in search of commercial vehicles that would take them to their respective places of work.
Eyewitness account alleged that the soldiers who may be on their way home ran into an unofficial road block mounted by some hoodlums at Ipaja area.
Also the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bashiru Azeez, yesterday paraded atleast 23 suspected armed robbers who were said to have operated within the Lagos metropolis within the past one month.
Though, the soldiers were said to have held their cool when they got to the road block, but that some of the urchins got irritated when they eventually discovered the true identities of the occupants of the vehicles.
Some of them opened fire at the vehicle as the soldiers attempted to escape from the scene when it became obvious that the hoodlums were not going to allow them go.
�Some of them sustained severe bullet wounds while a few of them had matched cuts. They were said to have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital by a team of mobile police officer drafted to the area� the source added.
In the same vein, some suspected street urchins, about 50 held some workers hostage at the Mary Land end of Ikorodu Road. St the end one Mobile policeman attached to mopol 20, Keffi was said to have been injured in the crisis.
The injured persons, majority of whom were said to be on their way to their respective places of worker were chased back to their house by some armed hoodlums who had allegedly laid siege on top of the Mary Land bypass.
The hoodlums were said to have fired sporadic gun shots into the air to scare away the workers and some filling station operatives who were selling fuel in jerry cans to buyers.
The incident which started at about 7an yesterday later spread to Onipan area/
It was at Onipan that one policeman who was said to be on his way to work ran into a story bullet fired by the suspected urchins.
Though, normalcy has been brought to both areas by the presence of armed mobile policemen, but uneasy calm still hover around the areas, but the situation may get worse from tomorrow when the few stations that had the products would have run out of stock, a marketer one of the filling station attendant told THISDAY at Maryland.
However, policemen were kept busy through out the better part of yesterday in Lagos, as commercial and vehicular activists were brought to a halt. This may not be unconnected to the fear that urchins might eventually take over the struck to carry out their criminal activities.
The few commercial vehicles that were on the road collected trice the original amount from commuters/
Unconfirmed reports alleged that about ten persons were arrested and that they are currently being detained at the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti Street, Yaba for further interrogation. Though how truthful this was could not be ascertained as the Command Headquarters were said to be parading about 23 armed robbe4ry suspects at the Command Headquarters at the time the crisis were on in the State.
Armed policemen from Mopol 29 and 22 also disrupted some protest match said to have been embarked on by organized Labour.
Some of the suspects arrested in Lagos were could not be identified as police sources said investigations was still on as to the involvement of the crisis in Ipaja and Maryland where five soldiers and one policeman were injured.
The protesters were coming from a rally held at various places in Lagos and were heading for the National Headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Yaba, when they encountered the police.
As early as 3pm, policemen from the state police command were sighted on major roads of the state capital, while intense and thorough search were
Conducted on private vehicles.
While Police were battling to curtail the activities of hoodlums in some parts of the metropolis. The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bashiru Azeez, paraded about 23 suspected armed robbers who have been operating within the state in the past one month.
Addressing journalists at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja, he some most of them have made useful confessional statements that will aid the police.
�The fine turned crime strategy was strengthened by the nine way test of the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro in his determined war on corruption and crime� he said.