27th July, 2011
The timely intervention of the chairman of Agege Local Government and the police from area ‘G’ Command, Ogba, Pen Cinema and Elere Police division, averted what could have degenerated into ethnic crisis at Mashalasi area of Agege at the weekend. The reason was that an unidentified hausa boy reportedly stabbed a Yoruba boy to death with a knife on Friday night.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 8 p.m at the railway line where the deceased is said to operate as a carpenter.
The reasons the Hausa boy stabbed the victim identified as Abiodun Dada to death could not be ascertained.
But residents in the area told P.M.NEWS that they learnt the deceased was trying to separate two Hausa boys who were fighting over an undisclosed reason at the railway line near the carpenter’s workshop, when one of the feuding boys stabbed him on his chest. He was said to have slumped immediately with blood gushing out from his chest.
P.M.NEWS further learnt that when the two combatants discovered that Abiodun has slumped, they escaped and their whereabouts are not sill known.
Sympathisers were said to have rushed the victim to a nearby hospital where doctors confirmed him dead.
P.M.NEWS learnt that when the information filtered into Moashalasi bus stop, Yoruba youths were said to have mobilised to avenge the death of their own by attacking any Hausa man in sight.
Their plans were, however, thwarted by the timely arrival of the Agege Local Government Chairman and a detachment of policemen led by the Area ‘G Commandant to the scene of incident, who appealed to the youths and the residents of the area to maintain.
Speaking with P.M.NEWS at the scene of incident, the Agege Local Government Chairman, Hon. Alhaji Abdu Jubril Abdukareem said: “I received a call from a source on Friday night that there was crisis at Mashalashi bus stop, Agege over the death of a Yoruba boy allegedly stabbed by an Hausa boy.
“I quickly sent a distress call to the police at Area ‘G Command, Pen Cinema and Elere Police Divisions who responded promptly and we immediately brought the situation under control. We had to pacify the angry youths and peace was restored.
“What I later learnt was that the deceased Abiodun was trying to separate two unidentified Hausa boys who were fighting and one of them allegedly stabbed the deceased with a knife on the chest.
“I told the youths and the elders in the area that there was no need to fight ourselves as both Hausa and Yoruba have been living together for years without problem and they listened to me.”
He said he is grateful to God for averting what could have degenerated into ethnic crisis which some people had wanted to hijack to cause chaos.
When P.M.NEWS visited the house of the deceased at Moshalashi, Agege, residents said he was not living in the house, but with his mother in Ogun State.
Efforts made to see the mother proved abortive.
The deceased has been buried at Jafojo area of Lagos on Saturday afternoon.
—Paul Iyoghojie