A riverine community in Egan Oriomi Otto Awori Local Council Development Area of Ojo in Lagos State was plunged into darkness and devastation as over 100 gunmen ruthlessly invaded in the early hours of Saturday.

The marauding gunmen, numbering over 100, unleashed chaos and devastation upon the community, leaving death and destruction in their path.At least 15 homes were reduced to ashes, with millions worth of property lost to the flames, while a 15-month-old infant, tragically asleep during the assault, perished in the flames.

Ten individuals fell victim to the gunmen’s bullets, while others, including a 90-year-old man, suffered grievous machete wounds.One grieving father recounted the heart-wrenching loss of his child, Emmanuel, who perished in the inferno: “I left my wife and two children at home to earn our daily bread.

When she called me around 9:30 p.m. to report gunfire, I urged her to seek shelter with the children. By 1 a.m., she called again, informing me that our home was ablaze. Tragically, our baby, asleep inside, couldn’t be rescued in time.

“Vanguard reports that this brutal attack stems from a power struggle over the community’s traditional leadership, with locals alleging the imposition of an outsider as their ruler by powerful figures in the state.

The feud between two rival families vying for control has escalated, with one faction contesting the legitimacy of the appointed leader.

Lawal Adesegun, who claims to be a crown prince of the community, stated: “This conflict stems from a dispute over ownership. The invaders are not indigenous to our community.

We obtained legal recognition as the rightful leaders, yet they imposed their candidate unlawfully. This confrontation isn’t isolated; similar violence erupted in 2018, claiming lives.

“The community remains embroiled in turmoil as the struggle for control intensifies, leaving residents in fear and mourning.