A yet-to-be-identified male plantain vendor has been injured and hospitalised after being shot by suspected armed robbers on Governor’s Road in the Isheri Olofin area of Lagos State.
It was learnt that the incident which happened on Sunday at about 1pm caused panic in the area.
It was gathered that the armed men numbering about 10 invaded the community to rob a newly opened restaurant.
While the robbery was going on, some youths in the community who learnt of what was happening decided to lay siege on the Odo Eran exit of the road.
After carrying out their operations, the robbers, while attempting to flee the community, sighted the group of youths and started to shoot sporadically.
In the process, the youths scampered for safety while the traders in the market around the area also fled. However, one of the stray bullets was said to have hit the injured victim where he had gone to hide.
An eyewitness who gave his name as Bright said on Tuesday that the armed men came with vehicles and motorcycles.
He said, “The restaurant they came to rob was opened recently and they were in there for close to 30 minutes. They were all wearing black. At first, nobody knew what was going on in the restaurant until someone called the attention of the security personnel of a hotel close to the place. That was when the security operatives started to shoot in the air.
“It was not too long after the security operatives started shooting that they came out and also started to shoot to scare people away. Meanwhile, some youths who knew what was going on had gone to the exit point of the road to block them, but with the way the robbers shot anyhow, they had to run away.”
One of the traders in the market close to the exit point said the sound of the gunshots scared other traders in the market away.
The trader who craved anonymity, citing security reasons, said, “Most of us did not know what was going on until we started to hear the sound of gunshots. We all left our stalls and ran away. But, one of the stray bullets hit a plantain seller on the arm where he was hiding. We later heard that the robbers went to Igando to carry out another operation.”
During a visit to the market on Tuesday, our correspondent met the victim’s brother who said he was recuperating.
The brother who did not mention his name said, “I was at our second shop in Egbeda when I was called that my brother was shot. I had to quickly rush down here but before I arrived, he was already taken to the hospital. But he is feeling fine. I have to stay here for now before he returns.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, could not be reached as calls made to his phones were not answered. A text message sent to him had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.
