By; RAYMOND TEDUNJAYE, Lagos
The police in Lagos has brokered peace between two warring communities in Ojo Local Government Council of the state, warning them to sheathe their swords or risk its wrath.
Youth of Otto- Awori and Ijanikin kingdoms in the Badagry division of Lagos had last week, engaged in a bloody clash, causing breakdown of law and order.
Commercial activities in the area were disrupted, with the Lagos Badagry expressway blocked by the irate youths for several hours before the intervention of the police and subsequent restoration of sanity.
Consequently, a peace process was initiated by the Akogun of Otto-Awori kingdom Chief Kehinde Abimbola Dawodu – Avoseh with a meeting held weekend, at the headquarters of Area “K” Command under the leadership of ACP Ahmed Jamilu.
The Second – in Command of the Command CSP Regentha Timpa, who presided over the meeting on behalf of ACP Jamilu warned the warring groups to cease fight and embrace peace.
Asserting that the duties of the police entail protection of lives and property including the maintaining law and order, Timpa warned that the command would not hesitate to invoke its wrath if the warring youths failed to sheath their swords.
The police chieftain, who stated that all the groups disclosed that the crisis broke out as a result of cult activities, also warned that anyone caught in the act risks 23 years jail term as enacted by the State Government.
” We’re law enforcement agents and our task is to maintain law and order. If the community is not at peace, the police will be worried because it will hinder the peace of the area. So, you should therefore sheathe your sword.
“When asked the caused of the clash, they all said it was caused by cult activities. They also disclosed that there is no family in the two kingdoms that doesn’t have a cultist. We however warned them that anyone caught in connection with cultism risks jail term of 23 years”, CSP Timpa stated.
He added that the Divisional Police Officer of Ijanikin Division CSP Chinedu Chimereze also assured the communities of his readiness to work and implored them to furnish his with information about the activities of the criminals.
Also speaking at the peace parley, Chief Dawodu Avoseh called on the DPO of Ijanikin Division not to rest on his oars and fish out trouble makers and deal with them according to the extant law.
Disclosing that Vespa bus stop junction and Ijanikin under bridge are the meetings points of cultists, Avoseh implored the DPO to begin a massive raiding operation beginning from 11.00pm.
The chief however put the blame for the crisis on the ineptitude of the chairman of Otto-Awori LCDA Mr. Ashafa, saying the crisis would have been prevented.
Present at the meeting on behalf of the Ijanikin youths were Abogun Opeyemi, Sanni Oluwasegun Jimoh Akanni, Awesu Sharafa and Lamidi Musbau, while Otto-Awori was represented by Simeon Paul, Ademola Balogun, Oshoja Oyeyemi, Sikiru Taiwo and Aminu Rasak.
