The Lagos State Police Command said it has restored peace at the Tejuosho Market shopping complex in Yaba after traders protested a prolonged power outage at the facility.
On Thursday, demonstrators stormed the popular market, claiming that the power outage was crippling their businesses.
According to eyewitnesses, the demonstration, which began peacefully, turned chaotic when police officers allegedly deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd.
But in a statement on Friday, the Command’s Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, said 18 suspects had been arrested.
“The operatives successfully dispersed the hoodlums and miscreants and arrested eighteen (18) of the suspects in the act of the violence and mayhem they caused in Tejuosho Market,” the statement read.
“The police joint team promptly restored law and order in the market, and all the marketers and customers continued their trading and other means of livelihood peacefully.
“The 18 suspects are currently in police custody under investigation and more concerted efforts are being made to arrest all other suspects who participated in the disturbance of the peace of the market and environs. They would all be prosecuted on completion of the investigation,” it added.
According to Oluseyi, the officers of the Police Mobile Force repelled the attacks and firmly protected the bank from invasion by the hoodlums and miscreants, and exercised a high level of restraint in their actions.
He stated that the Command received a distress call that hoodlums and miscreants had started attacking people, damaging goods and properties in Tejuosho Market.
“Further information revealed that the hoodlums attacked mobile policemen guarding a commercial bank within the market, who firmly repelled them and prevented them from invading the bank.
“The hoodlums and miscreants were also prevented from invading the Market Police Post,” Oluseyi stated.
The Command’s deputy spokesman added that on receipt of the information, the State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, promptly deployed additional police personnel, conventional policemen, and tactical squads to the scene.
He assures residents, business operators, and stakeholders that the situation remains under control.
Oluseyi also reiterated the CP’s commitment that violent attacks on police personnel and destruction of property will not be tolerated.
He called on Lagos residents to “show utmost respect to the police personnel in the discharge of their responsibility of protecting lives and property”.
