By Mary BASSEY, Senior Investigator Correspondent Lagos/
LAGOS-PANDEMONIUM broke out Thursday, at the All Progressives Congress Secretariat Acme Road Ikeja venue of the planned peace parley of aggrieved members of Arewa Community Lagos as miscreants took over the entire Secretariat chanting war songs and disrupted the peace accord.
Frantic efforts to calm frayed nerves were met with stiff resistance from the hoodlums said to have been hired for the purpose as they continued in their haywire shouting.
The meeting was convened to harmonise the Chairmen of the Arewa Community in the various Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas in the state.
Members of the group, made up of the various ethnics sub- nationalities from the North, had converged at the conference Hall of the APC Secretariat as early as 10am.
They were joined by the Lagos State Commissioner for Water Infrastructure Arch. Ahmed Kabir, who addressed them on the need to be United and work for the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) other candidates of the party at the forthcoming general elections.
The meeting, which had been peaceful for over three and half hours however, took a chaotic dimension when Shehu Usman and Sa’adu Yusuf Gulma arrived the venue with the miscreants, tagged ” Borla boys”, said to be from Mile 12 and butchers from Oko oba Abattoir, armed with dangerous items, seized and took over the preceedings.
While the peace talk was ongoing in the hall, the miscreants, who are also of northern extraction arrived and remained under the canopy within the premises, ostensibly awaiting directives from their leaders.
On arrival of the duo of Shehu Usman and Sa’adu Gulma, said to be factional leaders, Arch Kabir joined them along side others with him under the canopy to address both groups.
The gathering was addressed by Alhaji Marafa, who informed them that the purpose of the parley was to prepare their mind for a rally to mobilize support for the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu slated to hold at the Onikan Stadium next Sunday.
Hardly has he finished the address that the miscreants engaged in shouting march, demanding for the public address system (microphone) in the presence of both Messrs Guluma and Usman, who visibly failed to call them to order.
All entrities for decorum by other leaders fell on their deaf ears, as they shouted on top of their voices and took over the mini podium upon which the Commissioner and others stood on to address them.
As the situation became uncontrolled, the State Deputy Chairman of the Party aided by one of the National leaders of the party Hon. Lateef Ibirogba, intervened and ensured normalcy was restored.
Everyone had to leave the venue in panic after the meeting was disrupted by the miscreants
