Odita Sunday 
CP Jimoh Leads Crackdown As Police Reopen Lagos-Badagry Expressway After Deadly Communal Clash
Calm has returned to the Otto-Ijanikin axis of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway after a tense communal clash between rival youth groups forced the temporary shutdown of the busy corridor, prompting swift intervention by the Lagos State Police Command.
The Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, personally led a joint team of operatives and tactical squads to the troubled area on Friday morning, clearing barricades and restoring traffic flow along the strategic expressway. The road was successfully reopened at about 9:00 a.m., with residents resuming normal activities under heavy security presence.
The clash, which erupted between youths from Ijanikin and Otto communities, reportedly escalated into gunfire before police arrived at the scene. During the violence, one Akinyemi Omo Akin was suspected to have sustained gunshot injuries and later died at a hospital.
Police authorities dismissed circulating claims that the victim was hit by a stray police bullet, describing such reports as “incorrect and untrue.”
According to preliminary investigations, security agencies had received distress calls indicating that suspected cultists were drafted into the confrontation, engaging in a shootout prior to police intervention. The deceased was believed to have been shot during the exchange.
CP Jimoh has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the incident, assigning the probe to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti.
He also directed an intensified manhunt for other suspects who fled the scene.
Seven suspects from both factions have so far been arrested and are currently in police custody.
Authorities disclosed that the suspects have made voluntary statements detailing the roles they allegedly played in the clash.
A locally made pistol and two live cartridges were recovered from one of the arrested individuals.
Meanwhile, tactical squads and anti-riot units have been deployed across the affected communities and surrounding bushes to prevent further breakdown of law and order and to apprehend fleeing suspects.
The Police Command warned that it would not tolerate any action capable of disrupting public peace in the state, vowing that the full weight of the law would be brought against those found culpable.
Parents and guardians were also urged to caution their wards against involvement in violence.
Reassuring residents, CP Jimoh encouraged Lagosians to go about their lawful businesses without fear, urging members of the public to promptly report suspicious activities through the Command’s emergency lines.
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