Tragedy struck in the Cele Nica community of Ojo Local Government Area, Lagos State, after three armed robbers stormed a barbershop on Saturday night, October 4, killing two teenagers and injuring a third person.
The victims, identified simply as Chijindu and Akorede, were reportedly inside the barbershop on Abengo Close around 9 p.m. when the assailants attacked. Witnesses said the robbers entered the shop pretending to be customers before ordering everyone to lie down and demanding their valuables.
A resident, Duuni Olafeso, told The Punch that the robbers shot the victims when one of the teenagers said he only had ₦1,000 on him for a haircut. “The robbers were about three. According to the injured barber, two of them came in pretending to be customers and immediately ordered everyone to lie down. They collected his money and phones, but when they asked Chijindu for his belongings, he said he only had ₦1,000. That angered the third robber, who ordered them to ‘waste them,’” Olafeso said.
She added that all three victims were shot, but the barber, who was hit in the back, pretended to be dead and survived the attack. Akorede reportedly died on the spot, while Chijindu was rushed to the hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.
Chijindu’s employer, Ugochukwu, who installs solar panels, said the deceased was one of his apprentices. “We came back from a job trip on Saturday morning, and in the evening, he went out to have his haircut. I was at home when a neighbour rushed in to tell me he had been shot,” he recounted. “I rushed to the scene and found him in a pool of blood. We took him to the hospital, but he died around midnight. He was hardworking and responsible. I feel like a part of me is gone.”
Another resident described Chijindu as the breadwinner of his family. “His father died when he was seven, and he just turned 18. Since he started learning solar installation, he had been supporting his family financially,” the resident said, adding that the boy’s mother, devastated by his death, has since left the community.
The injured barber is reportedly receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital, while police have yet to confirm any arrests in connection with the attack.
