A supporter has been shot dead and several others injured following violence that disrupted the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives primary election in the Ikotun area of Lagos State.
The incident occurred on Saturday at a primary school in the Ile-Iwe area of Egbe, where party members had gathered for the APC primary election.
According to residents, the exercise had been progressing peacefully before tension flared among rival supporters at the venue, triggering a confrontation that quickly spiralled into chaos.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the disagreement soon turned violent, forcing people to flee for safety as gunshots rang out.
“The primary was holding peacefully before an argument started among some supporters. The situation escalated suddenly and people began running. During the confusion, gunshots were heard and one person was hit while others sustained injuries,” the source said.
Another resident, Taofeek, described the scene as chaotic, with supporters and delegates scrambling for cover.
“People started shouting and running everywhere. At first, nobody understood what was happening. After the gunshots, many jumped fences and hid inside nearby houses. We later heard that one person had been killed while others were injured,” he said.
Taofeek added that the victim, whose identity had not been confirmed as of press time, was rushed out of the venue but reportedly died while being taken to the hospital.
“The victim was moved immediately after he was shot, but we later learnt he didn’t survive. The incident created serious fear around the area,” he added.
A police source told PUNCH Metro that security operatives were reinforced after violence broke out, with senior officers moving in to restore calm.
“Once the situation became violent, officers called for backup. The Divisional Police Officer and Area Commander responded and normalcy was eventually restored,” the source disclosed.
However, the police source did not confirm whether any arrests had been made.
Attempts to get an official reaction from the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to her phone were not answered.
As of the time of filing this report, APC officials had yet to release an official statement on the shooting.
Political and electoral violence continue to cast a shadow over Nigeria’s democratic process, with clashes during party primaries and elections frequently resulting in injuries, deaths and destruction of property.
