Man Shot Dead As Soldiers, ‘Omo Onile’ Boys Clash

Tragedy struck on Saturday, August 26, 2023, in the Ebute Meta/Otto area of Lagos mainland as an unidentified man was reportedly shot and killed by soldiers following a clash with some boys said to be omo onile (land owners).

It was gathered that the soldiers had been dispatched to provide security for a group of Chinese workers who were engaged in maintenance construction along the railway tracks. However, the situation escalated when local boys in the vicinity attempted to obstruct the ongoing work.

A source stated that persistent conflicts had been arising between the boys and the construction workers in the area.

“The Chinese workers decided to involve soldiers because they felt that the police were unable to effectively manage the situation with the boys,” the source revealed.

Spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, explained that the Railway Command was in charge of the area.

“It’s not under our jurisdiction but that of the Railway Command,” the PPRO said.

A source within the police command, who confirmed the incident, expressed dissatisfaction regarding the alleged ongoing misconduct by soldiers in Lagos.

“The incident took place around 1 pm in the Ebutte Meta/Otto area. This situation is escalating beyond acceptable limits. We cannot allow this to persist. Even I have family members residing in Lagos. Is it right for people to be losing their lives due to soldiers’ actions? This must come to an end. Whenever they engage in such operations, they deliberately avoid wearing identifiable tags, making it impossible to identify or hold them accountable,” he added.