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In the process, some residents from Railway Line and New Balogun Street repelled their attack, forcing them to beat a retreat.
The hoodlums, however, later regrouped and staged another attack which lasted four hours.
More than 10 houses along the Railway Line and New Balogun were looted and some of their female occupants raped.
It was learnt that the incident started around 1 am, when most residents had gone to bed after the Easter celebration. They were startled when sounds of gunfire and broken bottles from the Akala hoodlums reverberated.
An eyewitness told Vanguard that the hoodlums from Akala were chased out of a carnival they attended at Ojo Street, around Tollgate area, after they engaged some residents of that area in a fight, but on their way out, they attacked residents of Railway Line and New Balogun Street.
According to a resident, Shola Balogun, “When they came first around 1 a.m. some of our boys who were at the entrance of our street saw them attacking innocent people and dispossessing them of their phones and other valuables.
“They also broke into some shops and carted away goods. Our boys went after them and there was a clash.
“I was told that two of their boys sustained fatal injuries before they escaped.”
Harunna Ila, a resident of Railway Line, told Vanguard that his brother lost one of his eyes when the hoodlums attacked their house.
He said: “I was sleeping with my brother when they attacked our house. We ran out and discovered that our shop has been destroyed and all our goods scattered on the floor as we attempted to pick them, the hoodlums opened fire on us.
“I ran into the house but my brother, Isiaka, was not so lucky. He was shot in the face and he lost one eye.
“I took him to the hospital in the morning where he is currently receiving treatments.”
20 vehicles destroyed, women raped
However, more than 20 vehicles parked along New Balogun Street were not spared as the hoodlums smashed the windscreens. They also set fire on two commercial buses parked at the entrance of the street.
A resident, Adegbola Owolabi, said some houses were also looted and some women raped.
“The hoodlums after destroying vehicles parked along our street, broke into some buildings. They also raped some women and robbed people of their phones, laptops and other valuables.
“In my compound alone they looted about 10 mobile phones and carted away three laptops. They also attacked some buildings adjacent ours and injured a lot of people before robbing them of their valuables.”
According to him, about 15 Islamic clerics praying inside a mosque along the Railway Line were robbed of their mobile phones and cash, while a generating set valued at N45,000 was also carted away.
