Gunmen open fire on university alum during raid on mobile payment vendor

A Lagos State University graduate is fighting for his life after being shot by suspected armed robbers who had trailed a Point of Sale operator to her residence in the Igando area of Lagos State, with the incident occurring on Sunday on Kayode Onafuye Street in the Alhaji Ede area of the community.

n

According to eyewitnesses, the robbers arrived on two motorcycles and stormed a bungalow in the area in search of the PoS operator, but failed to locate their target after being unable to force their way into the building.

n

An eyewitness, who identified himself as Bode, stated that the development angered the robbers, who then opened fire indiscriminately, with one of the bullets hitting the graduate, and described the scene as the robbers came on two motorcycles and were about four in number.

n

Bode explained that the robbers had traced the PoS operator to her house and first went to her shop, which is very close to the building, and when they discovered that she was not there, they went straight to the house and started calling out the PoS operator while attempting to enter the building.

n

The occupants of the building shut the entrance door, preventing the robbers from gaining access, and out of frustration, the robbers started shooting indiscriminately, according to Bode.

n

Another resident, who owns a shop close to the scene of the incident but preferred anonymity for security reasons, said the graduate was walking along the street when one of the bullets struck him, and that most people in the neighbourhood were unaware of what was happening until the sound of gunshots rang out.

n

The resident added that the graduate had unknowingly walked into the scene before he realised what was happening, and that it was after the robbers fled that people quickly rushed to rescue the young man and took him to a nearby General Hospital.

n

One of those who rescued him said he had just graduated from LASU and was preparing for the National Youth Service Corps programme for fresh Nigerian graduates, highlighting the tragic circumstances of the incident.

n

A police source told that officers were immediately deployed to the scene after the incident was reported, and that some spent bullet shells were recovered in front of the house.

n

When contacted on Tuesday, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abimbola Adebisi, said she was not aware of the incident but promised to get back to our correspondent, stating that the report had not gotten to her and that she would check and revert.

n

CSP Adebisi had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report, leaving the incident still under investigation.