Several videos have flooded the internet showing policemen from Lagos State Police Command, shooting directly at civilians in the Itire area of Surulere of the metropolis.
The reason for the bloody confrontation has remained unclear as the Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, Muyiwa Adejobi, has refused to comment on the incident.
Indeed, after being asked by different journalists to state the fact of the matter on what was going on at Itire, Adejobi has promised to find out and revert, but hours later, he was yet to do so.
The silence of the police has naturally fuelled stories from different quarters, with many alleging that some men of northern extraction were in a bloody gun duel with the police for some unfathomable reasons.
The number of people killed and those injured were yet unknown as at press time.
But residents were said to have scampered for safety to avoid flying bullets.
Commercial activities were grounded and residents locked their houses and remained indoors.
Another version of the story claimed that the policemen and commercial cyclists were engaged in the mother of all battles because the policemen allegedly impounded their motorcycles.
A worried Nigerian has posted on social media: “There is pandemonium at the moment around Itire, Surulere, Lagos State, following the clash between police officers and protesting commercial motorcyclists (Okada riders) in the area.
“According to reports gathered, the Okada riders were protesting this morning against the seizure of their motorcycles by the police before the confrontation started.
|Police officers reportedly shot at the riders, leading to at least one dead and some injured.”
However, in some of the videos, the grounds have turned red with blood and a young man is seen staggering with his mouth torn apart by a bullet.
People standing by, rather than taking injured man to hospital, could be heard yelling at him to stagger that way to the nearest police station.
Another video showed a young man covered in blood, with sympathisers attempting to lift and carry him to hospital.
Even as they struggled to carry him, one of them could be heard, saying: “This guy is dead.”
In another video, policemen were seen shooting directly at the civilians, while also dodging sticks and stones being hurled at them.
The policemen were also seen with machetes. Some were in uniforms, others were on mufti