Forty-five-year-old Tosin, a popular caterer around the Oshodi area of Lagos State, has narrated how his gang unknowingly shot at policemen after mistaking them for rival cult members who were supporting one of the chieftains of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos State.

The suspect, who sustained a leg injury during the attack on the policemen, blamed the crisis rocking the NURTW in Lagos State for the violent crimes and breakdown of law and order in Oshodi.

The suspect confessed that they actually shot in the direction of the policemen but claimed that they did not know they were police officers. He also added that the plan of his gang was to attack rival cult members who were reportedly hibernating around the home of a popular Oshodi NURTW chief.

Tosin claimed that the failed attack on the rival cult group was supposed to be a reprisal attack following the death of one of his gang members, simply identified as Samuel, who was allegedly killed by the rival group four days before the failed attack.

A police source, who pleaded anonymity while speaking on the arrest of the suspect, said, “On the 15th of June 2026, around 10:45 p.m., at Mabolaje Street, Mafoluku, Oshodi, one of the leaders of the NURTW in Lagos State, Koko Zaria, was with some people in his house.”

He continued: “Tosin, 45, led some cult members to Koko Zaria’s house to attack some suspected cult members in retaliation, but unknown to them, some policemen who were on patrol had stopped in the area to see what was happening.

“Unknown to them, the shooting was directed at the area where the policemen were staying. The policemen responded and they scattered in different directions.”

The police source also stated: “The Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area quickly mobilised his men and they raced to the scene. Bloodstains were traced to a canal in the area, where the suspect was discovered with injuries to his leg.

“A locally made pistol with one live cartridge and a Browning pistol magazine with five rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the injured Tosin.”

Tosin told newsmen: “My name is Tosin. I am 45 years old and I am a caterer. I cook at parties for a lot of people. I even cooked for Koko Zaria when he was celebrating his birthday. I don’t have any problem with him and I am not part of those who wanted to kill him.”

The suspect, though confirming that the gun and cartridges were recovered from him, claimed that he collected them from the owner, simply identified as Temidayo, who was shooting sporadically on the day of the incident.

He narrated: “We were coming from a birthday party around the Araromi area of Oshodi when we decided to go and check our rival gang members from Araromi Orile, who usually stayed in front of Koko Zaria’s house. There were about five or six of us. Some of them are from Mushin and only three of us are from Oshodi.

“We wanted to go and attack them because they killed one of us, Samuel, some days before we invaded their area. We didn’t know that some policemen were in the area. It was Temidayo who shot into the area, but I was hit by bullets from the policemen.”

He, however, claimed: “We didn’t have any intention of going there to kill them, but we wanted to attack them. We only wanted to shoot in the air. Temidayo held the gun. He was among those who came from Mushin. I don’t really know him. We used to meet in the ghetto. Only two or three of us are from Oshodi.”

The suspect also insisted that they were not sent by anybody to attack Koko Zaria but explained that he and other members of his gang belonged to Oluomo Nation, while the Orile Oshodi gang belonged to Koko Zaria Nation in Oshodi.

He narrated: “In Oshodi now, there are two factions of boys. There are those who belong to Oluomo Nation and there are those who belong to Koko Zaria Nation. Those boys from Orile Oshodi who usually stay in Mabolaje are Koko Zaria Nation and they are fighting boys from Mafoluku, Ewu and Eniyanlonbinu areas, who are Oluomo Nation members.”

The caterer also revealed: “We are not members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers and it is not that these people are giving us any money, but we just support them.”

The image maker in charge of the state police command, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the arrest of the suspect and warned troublemakers in any part of the state to retrace their steps or be ready to face the full wrath of the law. (Saturday Tribune)