A 15-year-old boy, Pelumi Sulaimon and a tricycle operator, identified simply as Aloma, have been killed by soldiers attached to Operation MESA around Makoko, in the Yaba area of Lagos State.
It was gathered that the soldiers were hired by some politicians for the purpose of attacking their opponents in the community.
NIGERIACRIME learnt that the operatives stormed the community on Sunday, February 26 and started shooting indiscriminately.
While the teenager was hit by a stray bullet on his way to buy drink to celebrate his birthday with his friends, the keke rider was gunned down after the soliders mistook him for one their targets.
The assaulter, according to residents in the area, were led by a political thug identified simply as Nuru.
Narrating the cause of the death of the Junior Secondary School Three pupil, one of his relatives, Musbau Ayinde said, “There was a clash between members of two political parties at a base close to Makoko roundabout on Thursday night. The fight was later settled after the intervention of some residents in the area.
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“After that, there was another confrontation between them during the election held on Saturday but that did not lead to a fight and we all thought it had ended there not until Sunday when a thug belonging to one of the political parties brought soldiers and stormed the base where the clash occurred the last time.
“When they got there, they did not meet their targets, so the soldiers who were attached to the OP MESA started to shoot indiscriminately and that was how one of the bullets hit Pelumi in his ribs. A tricycle rider known as Aloma was also shot dead.
“He was about getting passengers at the park when he heard the gunshots and fled. But they thought he was one of their targets and that was how they aimed at him and shot him. Even after he fell down, they came down from their van, moved close to him and shot him again in the head.”
On his part, Pelumi’s elder brother, Afeez, said, “I was with my friends when the soldiers arrived in the area in a van which had the inscription of OP MESA on it with a covered number plate. That was around 3pm. They came in through the Sabo area with four soldiers hanging at the back of the van.
“Shortly after, someone came to tell me that our last born had been shot. I rushed down to the place and saw my immediate younger sister at the spot trying to lift him (Pelumi) up from the ground. That was when some residents joined to carry him to a hospital at Oko Agbon.
“When we got there, they referred us to another hospital on Harvey Road. That was where he passed away. The hospital asked us to get a police report before releasing the corpse. So, it was policemen from Adekunle that took the corpse from the hospital and deposited it in the mortuary.”
The incident was confirmed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin.
“The case is at the State Criminal Investigation Department. No suspect has been arrested yet and investigation is still ongoing,” he said.