Four men were killed on Thursday after a disagreement reportedly escalated into a violent communal clash at Power Line Bus Stop, Ikola, in the Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident began following an altercation between a northerner and a man suspected to be a leader of a cult group.
According to the resident, the northerner allegedly stabbed the suspected cult leader, triggering a violent reaction in the community. The ensuing unrest reportedly prompted officers from the Meiran Police Division to call for reinforcement.
The resident said one person had initially been confirmed dead, while reports suggested that three others might also have lost their lives.
However, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency later confirmed that four adult males were killed in the violence, while several others sustained injuries.
The Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the agency received a distress call about a fire outbreak in the area at about 1:52pm and dispatched a response team, which arrived approximately 25 minutes later.
He said preliminary assessment and discussions with residents indicated that the incident started as a disagreement before escalating into communal unrest.
Several makeshift structures were reportedly set ablaze during the violence.
Emergency medical assistance was provided to injured victims by the Agbado Oke-Odo Ambulance Service, the Nigerian Red Cross Society and other responding health personnel.
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service subsequently contained the fire and carried out damping-down operations to prevent the flames from spreading to other areas.
Security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, were mobilised to restore order and protect lives and property.
The Chairman of the Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area also visited the scene and joined efforts to coordinate with community leaders.
LASEMA said normalcy had been restored in Ikola and neighbouring communities, although security personnel remained deployed to prevent further breaches of public order.
Oke-Osanyintolu urged residents to remain calm, avoid reprisals and refrain from spreading unverified information that could worsen tensions.
He said a full investigation had commenced to determine the immediate and remote causes of the clash, adding that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The latest incident comes months after a violent clash in Ilemba Hausa, in the Ojo area of Lagos, during which police arrested 18 suspects following a confrontation among youths in the community.