Residents of Meiran, Lagos State, were thrown into panic on Wednesday afternoon following a violent confrontation between suspected hoodlums, with eyewitnesses reporting young men chasing each other wielding axes.

The incident reportedly took place around 1:00 p.m. at the Kabowei Bus Stop area of Meiran. Although no deaths have been confirmed, the clash caused widespread fear among residents and road users.

Motorists were seen abandoning their vehicles in haste as the confrontation unfolded, while commuters and nearby residents fled to safety. Groups of youths, some visibly armed with axes, ran through the streets, bringing traffic to a standstill.

Segun, a resident who witnessed the chaos, told reporters he had to leave his car and take cover in a nearby building.

“The incident started near an amala joint at Meiran Bus Stop. When I saw about five men holding axes chasing others, I immediately abandoned my car and ran into a nearby house,” he said.

“I didn’t want to risk driving through that situation. Several other motorists also parked their vehicles and waited until things settled. After some minutes, when everywhere was calm, I returned to pick up my car.”

Another resident, Moses, linked the violence to a dispute involving local youths and an ice cream vendor.

“Some boys took ice cream and refused to pay for it. When the seller demanded his money, they started threatening him,” Moses explained.

“He then called his friends to intervene. That was when the situation escalated, and some of the boys allegedly brought out axes, leading to the chaos,” he added.

As of the time of reporting, it could not be confirmed whether anyone was injured during the incident.

Efforts to obtain a comment from the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages sent on Wednesday went unanswered.

While the exact motive behind the clash remains unclear, the incident has heightened concerns among residents, particularly in light of previous violent confrontations involving youths and weapons in other parts of Lagos.