Trader shot on head, legs battles for life

Owoseni

A trader who was shot on his head and legs by thugs on Monday evening at the Odo Aladura Spare parts Market, Ladipo, Mushin, Lagos State, is now battling to stay alive

The trader, identified as Anene Otazi, was among three men that sustained injury during the attack on Monday.

The Monday attack came barely six days after the first one. 

Eye witnesses said that the traders were about to close for the day when the hoodlums invaded the market and attacked three traders. These traders allegedly sustained severe injuries. 

The Chairman of the Odo Aladura Traders, Mr. Chukwuma Uroko, said: “We have had enough of these thugs! They were led by one Monday alias Ijoba. They had been terrorizing us for long. We were about to leave when the hoodlums invaded the market. They used dangerous weapons on us. One of us, Anene Otazi was shot on the head and his legs. He is now battling to stay alive at Lagos University Teaching Hospital Idi-Araba.”

 Recollecting how they were attacked on Thursday, Uroko said: “We received a notice from the State Ministry of Urban and Regional Planning, claiming that the building we are using, as our shops, were not well planned. We were still trying to understand what the notice meant when the hoodlums invaded the market. They injured 10 traders and carted away goods worth millions of Naira. We were surprised when the Owoyemi family came and told us they had gotten court judgment; that we should vacate the market within seven days.” 

Uroko urged the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni and the Lagos State Government to come to their rescue.

One of the families of Odo Aladura, who didn’t want his name mentioned, said: “As a family member, we’re peace-loving people. We don’t want to take laws into our hands. Our fore father settled in this community in 1950. They were the only inhabitants of the area before some other people came and joined them. But the Owoyemi family only came in 1978 and claimed that the land belongs to their family member.”

He continued: “The Owoyemi family and their hoodlums, led by Monday destroyed about seven churches and graves of our grandfathers. We urge all the legal authorities to wade into the matter. Let the authorities call the Owoyemi family members to order. We don’t want bloodshed in the community.”