Thugs slaughter five after naming ceremony in lagos....SEE PHOTO

Firstclass newsline learnt that some hoodlums, suspected to be working
for a political party in Lagos State, have killed five people in the
Ajah area of the state.
Firstclass newsline learnt that the victims were coming from a naming
ceremony when the men waylaid, and opened fire on their bus.
The killer gang was also said to have entered the vehicle and used
cutlasses and knives to slit the throats of some of the occupants.
The deceased were identified as Ganiyu Lawal, akaEbe; Idris Kolapo;
Samsudeen Osoja, akaSonga; Rafiu, aka Ralph; and Ladi.
A source said Songa's head was cut off during the attack on Wednesday.
Firstclass newsline learnt that five others, who sustained injuries
during the onslaught, escaped by a whisker.
The matter was reported at the Ajiwe police station.
Investigations by a source revealed that the deceased and survivors
were working with the Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport
Workers, Oyebanji branch, Lagos Island, Alhaji Mustapha Adekunle (aka
Seego).
When our correspondents visited Okepopo Street, Lagos Island, where
the deceased had their base, there was palpable tension in the
community.
Residents told firstclass newsline that the area had been in turmoil
as some hoodlums in the area had been hunting people suspected to be
involved in the killings.
Houses belonging to the Olokodana family on Palm Church Street were
torched by the miscreants.
Also, a building and a lock-up shop belonging to one Tunde, akaAlabi
Yellow, who was alleged to be an informant of the gang, was invaded by
the hoodlums who burnt some of the property.
Firstclass newsline saw damaged cartons of soft drinks, fruit juices
and canned malts on the floor of the shop.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said trouble started
on Sunday whenSeegoand the leader of a rival gang, Tunde (Alabi
Yellow), met at a social gathering, whereSeegoaskedYellowto bow to
him.
The latter reportedly refused.
It was learnt that Seego ordered his boys to deal withYellowby
breaking a bottle on his head.
The source said, "We have factions and unions on the Lagos Island and
they usually engage one another in superiority clashes. Two people
were killed during the electioneering period as the political parties
polarised them.
"The rivalry was later settled after Ambode won the election. A man,
popularly calledSeego, later came to the area for a social function.
During the event, he sightedYellowand asked him to bow to him. When
the latter refused, he became angry and ordered his boys to deal with
him.
"Yellowwas beaten and his clothes torn bySonga, who works forSeego."
Another source, Pepe John, saidYellowleft and promised to revenge the
assault and disgrace on his person.
He said, "On Wednesday, the wife of one of the boys in Ajah had a
naming ceremony and about 10 guys from Okepopo went there to party.
"As they left after the party, a group of boys shot at their vehicle.
They entered the bus and started slashing their throats."
A source said the attackers cut off the head of Samsudeen (Songa), who
allegedly smashed a bottle onYellow'shead at a social gathering.
He said they took the head away with them, but left the other corpses.
Firstclass newsline were told that one of those hit,Tope
Bullet,escaped because the attackers thought he was dead. A few other
persons were also said to have escaped.
It was learnt that the survivors returned to their base and reported
to their colleagues what befell them.
A source said the victims identified their alleged attackers to
includeTunde Yellow, Small Kuramo, Sharon, Abbas, Olokodana, Ade,
Ibafo John, Orji Mass, Baba Rajiand oneEjo Ilaje.
A resident, John Otombo, said more than 100 hoodlums invaded the
street on Thursday, searching for the men for their alleged
involvement in the killings.
He said they headed for the Olokodana family house, and set some
property there on fire.
He said, "They came to the family house around 10am. They shot into
the air. They didn't meet anybody in the house. So, they took some
valuables and set them on fire.
"They went toYellow'swife's shop and brought out all the goods there.
They damaged them and went to the house and set their household
furniture and property on fire."
Traders on Odunfa, Onola, Oyebanji, Adeniji Adele, Evans, Atiko and
adjacent streets were seen packing their goods and locking up their
shops.
A tailor, who spoke with a source on condition of anonymity, said they
lived in fear.
She said, "They said they would come back and burn down our houses. We
are living in fear. We just want the government to clear all these
street gangs."
A trader, who did not identify herself, blamed security agents for
being slack in responding to their distress calls.
"It was after the hoodlums had destroyed things that the police came
today (Thursday). The unfortunate part of the story is that they
started arresting innocent people," she said.
A tricycle driver, who also did not identify himself, told our
correspondents he would not be sleeping in his house.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident.
He, however, said only two people died.
He said, "Armed hoodlums shot at a moving vehicle and two persons were
fatally injured, while three others sustained injuries."
The Lagos State Chairman of the NURTW, Chief Tajudeen Agbede, said he
was aware of the incident, adding that it did not happen in any motor
park.
He said, "The police are already involved in this case. What I always
tell our members is to mind their public conduct and not bring
disgrace to the union. Whenever anything like this happen outside the
motor parks, I choose not to comment."
Firstclassnewsline.net