Four adult men have been killed following a violent clash that broke out at Power Line Bus Stop, Ikola, in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, on Thursday.
The incident reportedly began with a disagreement between two men before escalating into communal unrest, prompting security agencies to mobilise to the area.
A resident, who requested anonymity, told The Punch that the dispute involved a northerner and a man suspected to be a cult leader.
The resident said, “What I know right now is that a Northerner stabbed a former leader of a cult group. This action triggered the riot that policemen from the Meiran Division had to call for reinforcement.
“I can verify that one person is confirmed dead, with rumours of about three more deaths.”
However, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency later confirmed that four people had died in the violence.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the agency received a distress call concerning a fire outbreak in the community at about 1:52 pm and dispatched a response team, which arrived approximately 25 minutes later.
According to him, an initial assessment and discussions with residents indicated that the violence resulted from a disagreement that spiralled into communal unrest.
“Preliminary assessment and engagement with residents at the scene indicate that the incident followed a disagreement that escalated into communal unrest.
“Regrettably, four adult males lost their lives and several others sustained various degrees of injuries,” the agency said.
Several people were reportedly injured during the clash, while makeshift structures in the area were set ablaze.
The Agbado Oke-Odo Ambulance Service, Nigerian Red Cross Society and other health responders provided emergency medical assistance to those injured in the incident.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service subsequently contained the fire and carried out damping-down operations to prevent a recurrence.
Meanwhile, a joint security operation involving the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps was deployed to restore calm and safeguard lives and property.
The Chairman of the Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area was also said to have visited the scene to assist with coordination involving community leaders.
LASEMA said normalcy had been restored in Ikola and surrounding communities, although security personnel remained in the area to prevent further violence.
Oke-Osanyintolu urged residents to remain calm, avoid reprisals and refrain from circulating unverified information that could worsen tensions.
He added that an investigation had commenced to determine the immediate and underlying causes of the violence, stressing that anyone found responsible would be prosecuted.
The latest incident comes months after the Lagos State Police Command arrested 18 suspects over a violent clash in Ilemba Hausa, Ojo, in March.
The earlier confrontation, involving youths in the community, was captured in a viral video showing groups of young men attacking one another with dangerous objects.
