A violent attack occurred early Tuesday morning in the Yovoyan community of Badagry, Lagos State, resulting in the deaths of three individuals in what is believed to be a dispute over land ownership.
The community is in mourning after the tragic incident, which saw two members of the Atideka family—Richard and Latevi Atideka—and Muji Onilude from the neighboring Gberefu community killed. Witnesses have claimed that one of the attackers was a former police officer, who was accompanied by another individual.
David Atideka, who survived the attack, shared a chilling account of the events. He explained that the assault took place between 2:00 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. at the Atideka residence. “I had been talking to my wife when I stepped outside briefly. When I returned, I saw two armed men entering the compound. I hid nearby. They entered my room, demanded to know my whereabouts, and shot my wife in the head. I fled to my older brother’s room to alert him, but I found he had also been shot dead.”
David claims he recognized one of the attackers as his older brother, a former police officer, with whom he had ongoing disagreements over land. Sources close to the matter revealed that the issue was in court, where the alleged attacker had been arrested but released on bail. The final judgment was expected on Thursday.
Another victim, Muji Onilude, was killed after a brief visit to his son, Yusuf Onilude. “My father came to my room at around 2:10 a.m., and we spoke for a few minutes. He left, and within five minutes, I heard gunshots. I ran outside and saw a man fleeing. When I tried to follow, he shot into the air and escaped. When I returned, I found my father dead,” Yusuf explained.
Community representative James Yovoyan has called for justice, urging the police to apprehend the criminals. Meanwhile, Lorence Atideka, the head of the Atideka family, has urged the government to take swift action.
However, Henry Atideka, the son of the suspected attacker, denied the accusations. “My father was not present during the attack and has been invited by the police for questioning. While there were family disagreements, it was not related to land but to another issue set to be resolved in court on Thursday.”
A senior police official confirmed that the bodies had been taken to the General Hospital in Badagry and that an investigation into the killings is ongoing.
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