Posted by by Olalekan Adetayo on
Two shotguns, seven well-sharpened cutlasses and two gallons of petrol have been recovered by policemen in Lagos from the hideout of a faction of the Oodua Peoples' Congress.
Two shotguns, seven well-sharpened cutlasses and two gallons of petrol have been recovered by policemen in Lagos from the hideout of a faction of the Oodua Peoples' Congress.
Other items found during a raid on the hideout in Alasalatu, Mushin, on Friday include charms and a large quantity of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp.
The state police spokesman, Mr. Adebayo Ademola, a deputy superintendent of police, confirmed the development in a statement on Monday.
He disclosed that nine persons suspected to be members of the group were also arrested after brief resistance.
Ademola said that six policemen were critically injured from gunshots received from members of the militia.
The police spokesman said the raid followed an intelligence report that a faction of the group that suffered more casualties in last Wednesday's clash was planning a reprisal attack.
He disclosed that the report revealed that the decision to embark on the attack was taken at a hotel in Isolo.
Ademola said it was to be launched from Alasalatu, with Ejigbo as the first target.
'Armed with this report, we were able to nip the attack on Ejigbo in the bud while we conducted a raid on Alasalatu at 1300hours of Friday, February 11," Ademola added.
He explained that detectives were on the trail of the perpetrators of the mayhem, which left three people dead at Ikotun and Ejigbo last week.
The state police command has, however, warned the organisation's two factional leaders, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun and Chief Gani Adams, that it would not fold its arms and watch the security of the state being undermined by members of the group.
Ademola said, 'The Nigeria Police was created and saddled with the responsibility of law enforcement and protection of lives and property. Where policemen are, therefore, shot at in the course of performing their lawful duties, it shall be regarded as testing the will of the state and the consequences might be severe."
He, therefore, asked Lagos residents to go about their lawful businesses without fear of molestation.
The Punch, Wednesday, February 16, 2004