Four adult males have been killed and several others injured after a disagreement escalated into communal unrest and a fire outbreak around Wazobia Market, Power Line Bus Stop, Ikola, in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said it received a distress call about the incident at 1:52 p.m. on Thursday and deployed its response team, which arrived at the scene within 25 minutes. Several makeshift structures and market stalls were destroyed in the resulting fire, while emergency responders provided medical assistance to the injured.
LASEMA said preliminary findings from residents indicated that the incident followed a disagreement that escalated into violence. The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service subsequently brought the fire under control, while a joint security operation involving the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, NSCDC and Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps was deployed to restore order.
The Executive Chairman of Agbado Oke-Odo LCDA, Mayor Abiodun Jimoh Isola (Ejigbadero), visited the scene and commiserated with families of the victims. He urged residents, traders and community leaders to remain calm and avoid rumours or reprisals, while LASEMA said a full investigation had commenced and anyone found culpable would face the law.
Normalcy has since returned to Ikola and surrounding areas, although security personnel remain deployed to prevent further unrest.
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