No fewer than five firefighters serving with the Lagos state fire service (LSFS) have been injured in the Ajegunle and Surulere areas of Lagos state.
A senior firefighter had his ear cut with a broken bottle, another had a bottle smashed on his head, while three others were manhandled and beaten.
A fire truck was also been damaged in the melee caused by violent hoodlums frothing at the mouth with rage.
The fracas began after the hoodlums, who may have been drunk or on drugs, tried to access a building gutted by fire to loot the remaining valuables.
The director of the LSFS Rasak Fadipe said such was the lot of firefighters in the state while striving to save lives and property, who ran for their lives to avoid an even worse confrontation.
“The state has observed with dismay the frequent attacks on its officials and obstruction of same from carrying out their official duties by hoodlums.
“Over five officers were seriously injured on Idewu Street, Olodi-Apapa, Ajegunle and Odunsi Street, Itire-Surulere. The officers are dedicated and hardworking, and their motive was to save lives and property,” Fadipe said.
“The gallant officers responded to distress calls and were about to carry out their statutory duties when the hoodlums, who wanted to avail themselves of the opportunity to loot and steal from fire victims, saw them as obstacle and started attacking, stabbing and chasing them from the scenes of the fire incidents.”
He commended the divisional police officer in Itire for intervening and rescuing the officers from further harm.
Fadipe appealed to members of the public to cease attacking firefighters and damaging government facilities, adding that culprits should be ready to face the full wrath of the law.
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