IT was a mixed bag of feelings as residents of Lagos marked the sallah on Sunday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.

The inhabitants of Kuramo Beach who, on Saturday, lost a colleague to an Atlantic Ocean surge, with 15 others still missing, battled to salvage their valuables, while other residents of the state took to revelry to mark the event.

“It is an annual occurrence; we live on the Island and every year, the ocean must surge,” Mrs Amina Sura, one of the residents, said.

The mother of two noted that the beach was one of the tourists’ centres in the country and urged the government to ensure the protection of life and property, especially that of people living in the area.

One of the picnickers, Miss Vivian Aluko, an undergraduate, who stormed the beach with her friends to mark her birthday, said she was not deterred by Saturday’s incident.

“Yesterday was my birthday, so I came to celebrate with my friends. I am happy because it coincided with the sallah celebration,” she said.
Aluko appealed to the Federal Government to make the beach safer, so that it would continue to attract a large patronage.

Mr Isa Ibrahim, a father of four, said he was at the beach because his children loved playing with the sand and watching the flow of water.

“We are having fun, although I am very observant and security conscious, because of the incident on Saturday. But we are here to celebrate the sallah,” he said.

On the mainland, thousands of lovers of movies thronged the National Theatre to watch various Nollywood and other indigenous films lined up to celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr.

Mr Nduka Onyema, a businessman, who was at the theatre, said the occasion was an opportunity to take his family around the city, to see new places and have fun.

“I know the road will be free today and many people will be at various spots; it is a good opportunity to mix with old friends,” he said.

Some of the eateries in the area also witnessed a large turnout of revellers.

Alhaji Olarenwaju Ibrahim, who was at Tastee Chicken on Broad Street with his family, said it was a thing of joy to be alive to celebrate sallah.

“I am happy to be here with my family; no matter the little we can afford, I thank God because we are alive,” he said.

Mrs Maria Ogunde, a banker, told NAN that the celebration gave her an opportunity to take her children out to visit new places.

“I have visited friends and Silverbird Galleria today, that is why I am at Tastee to eat and go home. It has been a fun-filled day,” she said.

NAN reported that traffic was light on Ikorodu road and in areas such as Ikeja and Iyana-Ipaja, as well as Victoria Island and its environs.

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