One killed as police, traders clash at Lagos market

An unidentified trader has been shot dead during a clash between police officers and traders at Alaba Rago market in Ojo LGA of Lagos state.

TheCable understands that police officers attached to Okokomaiko division visited the market on Tuesday to arrest a suspect.

The suspect wanted by the police officers was said to have resisted arrest and some traders allegedly backed the suspect’s action.

The incident was said to have led to a clash between the police officers and the traders during which a police officer allegedly fired gunshots.

Confirming the incident, Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos police spokesperson, in a tweet, said the police officers who came to the market to effect an arrest were attacked by a “large number of traders”.

“Policemen of Okokomaiko Division today went into Alaba Rago Market to effect arrest of a suspect but came under heavy attack from a large number of traders,” Hundeyin wrote.

In a bid to tactically retreat from the armed mob attack, one of the officers fired his weapon, resulting in fatal injury to one of the attackers.

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A detailed investigation has commenced into the immediate and remote causes of the incident.

— SP Benjamin Hundeyin (@BenHundeyin) January 17, 2023

The development comes less than a month after Bolanle Raheem, a female lawyer, was shot dead in an incident involving a police officer.

Meanwhile, on December 6, 2022, a police officer was alleged to have fired the weapon that resulted in the death of Gafaru Buraimoh, a resident of Happy Land estate in Ajah.