The Lagos State Police Command has reopened the Lagos-Badagry Expressway at the Otto-Ijanikin axis following a communal clash between youths of Ijanikin and Otto that left one person dead and several suspects in custody.
In a statement on Saturday, Police Public Relations Officer SP Abimbola Adebisi said the expressway, blocked for several hours, was cleared and normalcy restored by about 9:00 a.m.
The operation was personally led by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohundare Jimoh, with a joint team of police operatives and tactical squads.
During the clash, a man identified as Akinyemi Omo Akin was shot and later died in hospital. The police clarified that preliminary investigations indicate the victim was not killed by stray bullets from law enforcement. “Before police intervention, both sides had reportedly brought in cultists who engaged in a gun duel. The victim must have been shot during the shootout,” the statement said.
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Seven suspects from both sides have been arrested, with one locally made pistol and two live cartridges recovered. The suspects have made voluntary statements outlining their involvement. Tactical squads and anti-riot units are combing affected communities and surrounding areas for other fleeing suspects.
The police warned citizens against acts that threaten public peace, emphasizing that the full weight of the law would be applied to those arrested. Parents and guardians were urged to discourage children and wards from participating in violence.
CP Jimoh directed a full-scale investigation of the incident, to be led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti. He reassured residents that massive deployment of police personnel is ongoing to sustain peace and prevent further breakdown of law and order, and encouraged the public to report suspicious activities through emergency lines.