Gunmen Kill Butcher Inside Lagos Barracks Market

Panic broke out on Saturday morning after gunmen invaded the Mammy Market located within a military barracks in the Ojo area of Lagos State and shot dead a butcher identified simply as Ridwan. The attack occurred around 8 a.m. when four masked assailants entered the busy market, fired several shots into the air, and caused traders and shoppers to flee in different directions.

Eyewitnesses say the attackers went straight to Ridwan’s stall and shot him multiple times at close range before fleeing the scene. Ridwan, unable to escape due to the stall’s location in a market corner, was left critically injured and later rushed to the barracks clinic. However, he was allegedly rejected and referred elsewhere. He was confirmed dead later that day.

There are speculations that the murder was cult-related, though this remains unconfirmed. The victim’s family has since buried him according to Islamic rites.

Lagos Police Command spokesperson Abimbola Adebisi said the incident had not been officially reported at the Onireke Police Station, which oversees the area. She added that the Commissioner of Police has ordered increased patrols and deployment of officers to tackle cultism and related crimes.

This incident comes just weeks after a similar attack near the same barracks, where gunmen killed four people and injured a 14-year-old boy at a snooker spot. The growing violence has heightened fears among residents and traders, who are now calling for a stronger security presence in and around the barracks.