…Confirm one person dead, 16 others arrested
Contrary to media reports, the Lagos State Police command has confirmed that only one person lost his life in the violence that erupted during the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Flag-off rally held in Lagos few days ago.
The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Edgal Imohimi who made this disclosure while addressing journalists in Lagos yesterday said that the Lagos State Ambulance Service took four persons to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) at Ikeja and one of the leaders of NURTW, MC Oluomo to Eko Hospital.
Edgal further clarified that out of the four people taken to LASUTH, one person incidentally lost his life while the three others were treated and discharged even as he said that MC Oluomo has been treated and was recuperating.
According to him,” And let me set the record straight, I saw a lot of screaming headlines saying about five people dead and so on. The incident was very unfortunate but please for the record, the Lagos State Ambulance Service, one of the senior officers is here present for this event, they took four persons to LASUTH, Ikeja, and MC Oluomo was taken to Eko Hospital. Out of the four persons that were taken to LASUTH, one person eventually died, three were treated and discharged. MC Oluomo has been treated and he is recuperating. So, that is the situation”.
While describing the incident as shocking, he recalled that the event was the flag off for a gubernatorial candidate of the APC which was attended by a lot of dignitaries including the Executive Governor of the state, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode and his wife adding that all those accredited to go into the venue were APC supporters many of whom came with APC stalwarts into the venue.
“Now, for whatever reason, why they will choose to disrupt a rally for a candidate they are supporting is shocking and unacceptable. They were supposed to be there to support their candidate not to disrupt his rally”, he said.
He noted that but for the proactive steps taken by the Police and other security agencies that supported them, it would have been worse saying, “I appreciated the situation promptly because I know that the venue that was used was small, the place was choked, if we had decided to deploy tear gas or we made use of firearm, the casualty rate would have been staggering and that was why we resorted to physical arrests and persuasion”.
He continued,” Fortunately, we have a video recording of the entire incident and that is why we have been able to narrow down some of the key players in the mayhem and that is why we have declared one of the NURTW members wanted. Yesterday night (two nights ago) at 2.00am, I led my men on a raid to Lagos Island where I got intel that some of the boys were hired from. In those two locations by the uncompleted Millennium Housing Estate and some areas under the bridge at Adeniji Adele, we arrested fourteen suspects. Some of them have given us useful information. The Deputy Commissioner of Police Investigation State CID is handling this matter personally.
“So, as at now, we have a total of sixteen suspects that are being interrogated. And let me reassure Lagosians, nobody who is indicted in this investigation report that the Deputy Commissioner State CID will release very soon, whoever is indicted will definitely go to Court because we can’t accept this level of thuggery and irresponsibility”.
He however recalled that before the incident, he had earlier summoned all the leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and that of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to a meeting at the Police Event Centre where he interacted with them and launched a vest to sensitize them against engaging in political violence and thuggery and where they affirmed on air to all Lagosians that they will not be involved in any form of thuggery and violence.
“It therefore beats my imagination that shortly after they left the meeting and went to campaign rally only to be involved in this kind of thing.
“The preliminary investigation we have carried out revealed that it is just their inter party national union crisis. I hear that their state Chairman is exiting very soon and there are some players who are fighting to take over from him but please, for crying out loud, is it the flagging off of a governorship candidate that is a good venue for them to do their inter party squabbles? So, we will not tolerate it, we will continue to keep the press abreast”, the CP stated.
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