Gunmen Shoot Three, Loot Property in Attack on Lagos Community

Fatoki community in the Egan, Igando area of Lagos State, has been deserted, after gunmen attacked the area in a three-day onslaught, PUNCH reports.

The gunmen, it was reported, shot three individuals, and looted homes and shops in the community.

According to a resident, the community had been peaceful until two months ago. He said:

A man had run out of the creek in broad daylight, naked and scared. He was stopped by our security men. We thought he was mad, but upon interrogation, he said he was kidnapped by the militants and they had just released him. We called his relatives and they confirmed his story.

Three days ago (Monday), they stormed the community in the morning, shooting at the junction. They injured three people and looted shops.

Another resident also said that the gunmen promised to return, adding that:

Those people returned on Tuesday around 12 noon. Some of them wore red masks. They spoke English and a few even spoke Yoruba. They ordered everyone to lie down. They took away my money and carried away my neighbour’s generator.

They attacked a disable cobbler on the road and took away his money. A man, who was washing his car, was shot. They collected his three phones and N35,000.

“I was in my room with my family on Wednesday evening. We were seeing a movie around 9pm when I saw four of them enter my room with guns. They ransacked my house and took away my phones and other valuables. They took a huge sum of money I wanted to use for business. I am bankrupt,” said another resident.

Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos who confirmed the attack said:

The command received the report at the early hours of today (Thursday). We gathered that some militants attacked the community. The Igando Divisional Police Officer led operatives to the scene and upon sighting the policemen, the militants fled; but two of them were arrested. The arrest led to the recovery of ammunition.

During the attack, two people were shot and they are currently receiving treatment at the hospital. We have deployed adequate security personnel and equipment to the area to forestall a recurrence.