Lagos Community Petitions Police AIG, CP Over Continuous Robbery, Attacks By Gangsters
By Ayo Dedeigbo/LAGOS// LAST WEEK, It was a narrow escape for Tokunbo Coker as he ran into the claws of gangsters who terrorize residents of Alimosho area of Lagos state.
Last week, Coker was returning home from work and at exactly 9:00pm, his car developed fault and needed help at all cost.
Coker, a health insurance agent narrated how he was attacked by the robbers in the area while speaking with SECURITY MONITOR said ‘It was few minutes to 9pm. I was driving my friend’s car but the car had a fault. I saw a group of boys between the age of 23 and 25 years old. They approached me and helped me to push the car to one side of the road along Orisumbare. One of them pretended to be willing to assist me get a mechanic. I was waiting for my friend who owns the car to come and meet me. The boy said I should give him my phone so that he can call the mechanic. I gave him and started walking away very fast. I at him but he kept moving until he got to a particular block industry. I followed him there but to my shock, I met over twenty young boys there. They descended on me teribly with bottles, stick and other light weapons. Instantly, I fell down. But managed to rise up and gave one of them a blow to escape. I ran away but they have stolen my iPhone 6 , my Techno phone and my N20,0000.
“I reported to the police at Afonja police station and together with my friends, we found out that the boy’s name is Ezekiel. We trailed him to his house and got him arrested. He had flashed my phone and dismantled the casing”.
The jobless youths, mainly below the ages of 30 have continually constituted menace in an open ground along Oba Disu Faronbi street Shasha area of Lagos. The area according to residents is a den of criminals.
According to findings, the owner of the vast land remained unknown and community members in the area said the land is of grave concern as suspected robbers, cultists and other criminal elements have turned the ground to their abode and unleash terror on motorists, traders and passersby.
One of their victims
A resident of the area told our correspondent that the police have to take the necessary steps by riding the area of crimes and criminals.
“These boys are always there on the field smoking hemps, ambushing and attacking. All sorts of hard drugs are being sold there.
It was learnt that the palace of the community monarch is not farfetched to the area where the hoodlums operate. The Baale, according to sources is found of getting the boys bailed from the station anytime they were arrested. “He (Baale) goes to bail them. Women cannot walk freely in the area. The police need to continue to raid them so as to put an end to their criminalities”, a community leader told SECURITY MONITOR.
Further investigation shows that a day after the attack on Coker, residents said an unidentified man was killed in broad daylight in the area prompting the traders to scamper to safety as they locked their shops.
Following the increasing security threat, our Correspondent visited the open ground and saw army of young boys, putting on black T shirts on black jeans loitering around the ground in suspicious manner.
A trader in the area who simply identifed herself as Dupe said “These boys are always on the ground, day and night, they are there selling hard drugs and looking for easy targets of victims to steal from.
A cross section of residents who spoke to SECURITY MONITOR urges the state government to “take over the land or get and compel the owner to develop it as the threat from that ground is of great concern to us”
Following the incessant attack and robbery, the community leaders petition the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, in Charge of Zone 2, Onikan, AIG Ahmed Illiyasu. The Save Our Soul SOS petition, copies of which was sent to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police CP Hakeem Odumosu is calling on the police authority to see to the safety of lives and properties in the community. The petition signed by Alhaji Adeshola Adetola of Orisunbare estate, Shasha Lagos titled
S.O.S: CULTISTS, RITUALISTS, RAPISTS, KIDNAPPER’S, ROBBERS TAKE OVER SHASHA AND ENVIRONS OF ALIMOSHO LOCAL GOVT AREA read
On behalf of the residents, inhabitants and concerned citizens of Shasha and environs in Alimosho council area of Lagos State, I write sadly to call your attention and very urgent response to the increasing rate of all imaginable violent crimes in Shasha and environs.
Economic, social and other activities has grounded due to the rising crime rate involving youths who are mostly cultists, ritualists, rapists and robbers..
Cult clashes are frequent, along with wanton destruction of property, looting and maiming are daily activities of these hoodlums, miscreants, robbers and vicious killers.The local Chief, Baale of Orisunbare may have been compromised as several reports on the illegal and criminal activities of these misfits has not been addressed by him, hence this S.O.S to you. Grateful sir, grant this petition the required urgency, as the community is overwhelmed by the illegal activities of these criminals.
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ENDSARS and you killed police as you like. Thinking the approach you were using is the best. Confused generation. You must look for the best approach to solve a problem else you may end up creating a bigger problem. How many people have died since then. The cultists killing themselves or killing innocent Nigerians? How exposed everyone has become? Is very good we are all enjoying it today. Life is expensive………