Some pupils of two secondary schools in the Meiran area of Lagos reportedly clashed on Friday after closing time, resulting in injuries on both sides.
Sunday PUNCH learnt that the warring pupils destroyed about three vehicles parked at the scene of the clash on Imulokanle Street, Meiran.
It was gathered that some residents had to summon up courage to disperse the teenagers, who reportedly wielded cutlasses, knives, axes, bottles and other weapons.
A resident of the area, who identified himself only as Babatunde, told our correspondent that one of the pupils apprehended by the residents was handed over to the police.
He said the student told the police that he is from a school in Mulero, a neighbouring community, and was invited by one of the factions for assistance in the fight.
Babatunde stated, “After closing time on Friday, pupils from the two schools were coming from different directions and met at Imulokanle junction. They were brandishing cutlasses, axes, knives, bottles and other weapons and they started attacking one another. They were more than 200. Many of them were injured. They also destroyed property. They vandalised three vehicles and even wanted to enter houses. Some residents rose against them and chased them away. It was a terrible situation; small children for that matter.”
He said after dispersing the pupils, some residents reported the case at the Meiran Police Station but they were asked to pay N5,000 for mobilisation to the scene.
Babatunded added, “One of the landlords had to call the DPO (Divisional Police Officer) before some policemen came here. They just looked around and left. A pupil they arrested said he was invited from a school in Mulero by one of the factions. If I had packed my car on the street, they would have destroyed it too.”
Another resident, Salami Adedeji, said the factional pupils had been at loggerheads for about two weeks over what he described as a suspected cult war.
He said, “They usually fight on Fridays after closing from school. They smashed bottles on the street. Nobody knew what actually led to the clash but it appeared to be a cult clash.
“As we were trying to stop them, they started throwing stones and bottles and destroyed some vehicles in the process. We recovered some weapons from them and took them to the police station.
“Surprisingly, the policemen we met asked us to pay N5,000 before they could act on the matter. Aside from the boy that was arrested, I learnt one pupil was admitted in a hospital.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, promised to get back to our correspondent with comments on the incident. He had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, who confirmed the clash, said operatives were promptly deployed in the area and normalcy was restored, adding that two vehicles were damaged and one suspect arrested.
He said the claim that N5,000 was demanded from the residents at the station “is not true; it is falsehood.”
The PUNCH.
