The Lagos State Police Command has restored law and order in Owode Onirin, Lagos, following a violent clash between traders and suspected land grabbers that left three persons dead and a police officer critically injured.
According to the Command, the incident led to the blockage of major roads around the Owode Onirin Market. The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohundare Jimoh, personally led a combined team of operatives from the Operations Department, Police Mobile Force, Rapid Response Squad, tactical units, and detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to the scene, where normalcy was restored and traffic flow resumed.
To prevent further breakdown of law and order, the CP ordered the continued deployment of police personnel in the area.
During the clash, three victims sustained fatal injuries and were later confirmed dead at the hospital, while a Police Inspector remains on the danger list after sustaining life-threatening injuries.
Preliminary investigations linked one Abiodun Ariori, CEO of Prosperous Ariori Golden Venture Limited, to the violence. The police declared him wanted after efforts to arrest him proved abortive, stating that he had gone into hiding.
The Command described Ariori as dark in complexion, with a last known address in Egbeda, Lagos. Members of the public with information on his whereabouts have been urged to report to the nearest police station or contact the Lagos State Police Command via the provided hotlines and email.
In addition, four policemen allegedly brought into Lagos by the wanted suspect were arrested for going on illegal duty and are currently undergoing an orderly room trial. The outcome of their disciplinary process will be made public, the police said.
Meanwhile, the Command also dispelled reports of a tribal clash at Balogun Market on Lagos Island. Police confirmed that the disturbance was a fight between hoodlums, during which one Ebuka Adindu, from Abia State, fatally stabbed Sodiq Ibrahim, from Kogi State, before stabbing himself and falling unconscious. He is currently under arrest in the hospital, pending prosecution after recovery.
The police stressed that no innocent lives were lost and no goods or property were destroyed during the fracas. Normalcy has since been restored at the market.
CP Jimoh urged residents to remain law-abiding, avoid spreading panic, and cooperate with the police in maintaining peace across Lagos State.
