Riot in Dei Dei Abuja suburb claims five lives, 35 vehicles damaged

An ongoing riot in Dei Dei area of Abuja has claimed the life of five persons and caused the destruction of over 35 vehicles sparked by a motorcycle accident in the suburb. An eyewitness, who narrated the cause of the riot to our correspondent, said the fracas was ignited after a motorcyclist knocked down a woman by the roadside, who sustained serious injury. This triggered a heated argument among onlookers and sympathizers. In defense of himself, the motorcyclist brought out a dagger and stabbed five people. This then necessitated counter reactions as residents from “around the area began fighting in front of the corner shops located by Tomatoes junction around the Timber Shed,” the source said. Continue...
One of the people who was stabbed in the head died immediately fuelling more reactions which lead to the death of four others. Angry residents fought vehemently, smashing and destroying cars as well as burning houses. This threw the whole area into mayhem as business men and women closed down their shops running for dear lives. A serious traffic gridlock has taken over the road leading to the area as people are seen abandoning their cars as they run for safety. Our source  learnt that Mobile Policemen and other security agencies have been deployed to the area and all is being done to restore peace. Meanwhile, some of the security men are said to have also sustained injuries in the process of quelling the unrest.
Efforts to get official reaction from the security quarters could not yield any result as at press time.