There was heightened tension in the Obalende area of Lagos State after a young man, identified as Toheeb Eniasa, was gunned down by security officials while trying to buy fuel as the fuel scarcity continues to bite harder.
This tragic incident played out at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited petrol station in Obalende, Ikoyi, Lagos State.
It happened late on Wednesday.
According to eyewitness accounts, Eniasa was in line at the petrol station when two men, believed to be military officers, walked in.
They attempted to bypass the queue to purchase fuel.
This action met strong opposition from those waiting, including Eniasa.
The Resistance
They insisted that the men follow protocol and wait their turn.
The situation escalated quickly.
That was how a physical altercation occurred leading to the tragic shooting of Eniasa by one of the men, who then fled the scene.
A witness, identified as Mr. Amos Ayo, said the shooters were members of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Ayo reported: “They are men of the DSS. They came to the scene to buy fuel but refused to join the queue.
“It was not Toheeb’s turn yet but he confronted them, asking them to join the queue or be polite about the way they went about the purchase.”
Autopsy
“The chaos at the petrol station didn’t end with the shooting as community members’ attempted to apprehend the fleeing men led to further violence.
“One hid under a bus so we set it on fire. He also ran away,” said another local who witnessed the incident.
“The police have taken Toheeb Eniasa’s body to the morgue for investigation and possibly an autopsy, while the identity of the shooter remains unconfirmed.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident.
According to him, investigations are ongoing to ascertain the shooter’s identity.
DSS Involvement
“I can confirm that somebody was shot dead… The identity of the shooter is still unknown but investigations are ongoing to unravel that,” Hundeyin stated.
Also Read: #Fuel: NNPC Reacts To Fresh Scarcity Across Nigeria
Reacting to allegations of DSS involvement, DSS spokesman Peter Afunnaya categorically denied any connection to the incident.
“It is not true (that a DSS officer shot Toheeb). Kindly deepen your investigations to uncover the truth.
No single DSS staff was involved in the matter, Afunnaya urged.
