A quiet Lagos community has been left in mourning after a brutal armed robbery at a local barbershop claimed the lives of two teenagers in the Cele Nica area of Ojo Local Government.
The victims, identified only as Chijindu and Akorede, were shot dead on Saturday night when a three-man gang stormed Abengo Close around 9 p.m., disguised as customers before launching their attack.
Eyewitnesses said the armed men ordered everyone in the barbershop to lie face down before collecting phones and cash. The situation turned deadly when one of the teenagers reportedly told the robbers he only had ₦1,000 — a statement that angered the gang leader, who allegedly ordered his men to “waste them.”
Gunshots rang out moments later, leaving all three people in the shop — the barber and two teenagers — bleeding on the floor. While the barber survived by pretending to be dead, Akorede died instantly. Chijindu was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries hours later.
Residents described the sound of gunfire as terrifying, with many afraid to leave their homes. “When we got to the scene, we saw blood everywhere,” said one local, Duuni Olafeso. “The robbers just shot them and escaped.”
Chijindu’s boss, Ugochukwu, who runs a solar installation business, said the teenager had returned from work that evening and went out for a haircut. “He was a hardworking boy. I got a call that he had been shot. We rushed him to the hospital, but he didn’t make it,” he said, visibly shaken.
Akorede’s relatives, who live outside the community, were later contacted by the police. His body was recovered at the scene, while Chijindu was buried on Monday.
The barbershop remains under lock and key, and the usually lively Owolabi Street has been plunged into grief and silence as residents call on security agencies to intensify patrols in the area.
