There was confusion around the Forte Oil Petrol Station on 21 Road in the FESTAC Town area of Lagos State on Wednesday after officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps shot dead an alleged illegal fuel hawker, while three others sustained gunshot injuries.
Our correspondents gathered that the hawker, identified only as Emeka, was shot dead when the NSCDC men, said to be members of a task force on curbing activities of black marketers, invaded the area around 1pm.
It was learnt that following an altercation between the task force and some fuel sellers, the NSCDC men opened fire on the fuel sellers.
While Emeka was said to have died on the spot, two others, identified as Smart Ogabor and Oladiran Atolagbe, were rushed to a hospital.
It was gathered that there was panic in the area as motorists and other fuel buyers fled from the AP bus stop, where the filling station was located.
PUNCH Metro learnt that it took efforts of policemen from the Area E Command to stop youths who wanted to stage a protest against the killing.
A resident, identified only as Bosun, said trouble started at the filling station when the NSCDC task force came to the area and wanted to seize fuel in jerrycans from the black marketers.
He said, “One of the NSCDC men killed the hawker. About four of them were shot, but only one of them died. After the killing, some youths wanted to start trouble, but policemen dispersed everyone.
“I had to leave the scene in a hurry. Trouble began when the hawkers prevented the task force men from seizing their fuel.”
An eyewitness, who identified herself only as Mercy, tweeted that the area had been thrown into confusion.
“I am looking at the deceased right now, but I cannot get close. He is dead. Policemen are on the ground. I learnt that a female officer of the NSCDC shot the man. He was trying to get fuel. Tyre is being burnt on the road. Trouble is brewing. The road has been blocked.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the man was shot dead during “indiscriminate firing from NSCDC personnel” at the filling station.
She said, “About seven operatives of the NSCDC, in a Toyota Hilux and armed with AK 47 rifles, raided roadside petroleum product hawkers on the 21 Road, FESTAC. In the process, they fired sporadically injuring Ogabor, Atolagbe and Emeka and escaped to unknown destination.
“Emeka, an okada rider, was confirmed dead at Lagos Mainland General Hospital, Yaba, while his corpse was deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.
“The men of the Area E Command were called and the Area Commander is currently on the ground to restore normalcy to the area.
“The command has commenced investigation to identify the civil defence operatives.”
The spokesperson for the NSCDC Lagos State Command, Mefor Chibuzor, denied that the officers killed the man. He added that the NSCDC men only monitored stations selling above the pump price.
He said, “Our men went to FESTAC Town area for an operation. We went to the area to monitor filling stations selling above the pump price.”
Tears flowed on Wednesday on Adebiyi Street in the Somolu area of Lagos State after a 65-year-old motorist, Alhaji Kamourudeen Ajibade, and his daughters, Shakirat and Wuraola, were burnt to death in an inferno.
The three were killed after fire gutted their apartment around 11pm on Tuesday.
Shakirat,19, had finished her secondary school education and was an apprentice in a graphics and design company, while 15-year-old Wuraola was still in Senior Secondary School 3.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Kamourudeen was to celebrate his election as the chairman of a motor park in Onipanu on Wednesday before the tragedy struck.
He was said to have returned from work on Tuesday with a 50-litre jerrycan of fuel which he kept in the corridor at the back of his apartment.
It was learnt that he was transferring part of the fuel to a smaller container when his phone rang.
The phone reportedly ignited a fire, which engulfed the victim.
His two daughters, who heard his cry for help, were said to have rushed there, but were trapped as well.
Their corpses were said to have been removed by officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Service.
When PUNCH Metro visited the scene, residents, family members and friends, were observed lamenting the deaths.
A neighbour of the victims, Ogbechie Enoch, aka Baba Soldier, said he had a chat with the Badagry, Lagos State indigene a few minutes to the incident.
He said, “Around 9pm, power was restored to the area and I went inside to watch news update.
“A few minutes after, the electricity went off and I came outside and saw him. I was lamenting the situation in the country and how things were getting worse. He said we should keep hope alive.
“He went back inside. It was some minutes after, around past 10pm that I heard people shouting, ‘Fire, fire, help, help’.
“The residents trooped into their house and started combating the fire. I gave them my fire extinguisher to save lives, not knowing the lives were already lost.”
PUNCH Metro observed that only the corridor of the victims was affected by the fire.
Partially burnt naira notes also littered the floor.
A tenant, who did not reveal his identity, said, “Alhaji is a motorist and he has two vehicles. One was bought just a few days ago to celebrate his election as the chairman of the park at Onipanu/Fola Agoro today (Wednesday).
“Because there was no power, he decided to transfer fuel from a 50-litre jerrycan to a smaller container. As he was doing this, his phone rang and that was how the fire started. He shouted for help and his children rushed out to save him, and were choked to death by smoke.”
A relative said she had a premonition of the incident, adding that had Kamourudeen told her of the party, she would have discouraged him.
Some friends of the victim were seen by PUNCH Metro making contributions to raise funds to take the corpses from the mortuary.
It was learnt that the family planned to bury the three corpses on Wednesday in accordance with Islamic rites.
The Director of the Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe, said the fire was caused by the fuel which was stored at home.
“Unfortunately, three people died, which included the man and his two children. The fire was caused by storage of petrol,” he said.
The side effect of the lingering fuel scarcity in the country on Tuesday night claimed another victim at a hotel on Oyedele Street in the Egbe area of Ikotun, Lagos.
It was learnt that the hotel – Climax Hotel – whose operation had been affected by the fuel crisis, was unable to run on generator.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the deceased, 48-year-old Ifeanyi Nwachukwu, and his 11-year-old son had travelled from outside the state and lodged in the hotel.
Around 11.30pm, Nwachukwu’s son, whose name had yet to be ascertained, reportedly lit a candle stick to illuminate their hotel room, while his father slept off.
He was said to have placed the candle on a stool beside the bed and went out to get fresh air on the hotel premises.
Our correspondent learnt that when the candle burnt out, the fire caught the bedspread and engulfed the whole room afterwards.
Nwachukwu, who was said to be ill, was burnt to death while his charred remains were removed by the state firefighters from the Ikotun fire station.
A youth, who identified himself only as Elijah, said, “After the candle dissolved, the fire caught the bedspread and consumed the room. When the fire was put out, the man had died.”
On Wednesday when our correspondent visited the area, he approached a man in front of the hotel and requested to speak to the manager on the incident. But the man, believed to be a worker, denied him access, saying the incident did not happen in the hotel.”
But some residents, who were asked, identified the facility as the Climax Hotel.
An emergency worker said the manager of the hotel took the victim’s son to the Idimu Police Division.
He said, “Immediately we received an alert, we moved to the area with our equipment. By the time we got there, the fire had been put out. We removed the corpse of the man and the hotel manager handed over his son to the police.”
Fire service boss, Fadipe, advised the public to go for rechargeable lamps rather than use candles.
He said, “The incident happened around 11.30pm. The man was ill and was asleep when the fire started.
“He was fatally burnt. Candle sticks should be avoided in homes. There are rechargeable lamps that are not costly.”
Police spokesperson, Badmos, said, “The case is under investigation.”
No comments:
Post a Comment