One feared killed as robbers raid Lagos, Ogun neighbourhoods

A yet-to-be identified landlord was feared killed after suspected robbers on Saturday attacked Micon area in Ahmadiya, a Lagos suburb. This is just as residents of Abule-Egba, Alagbado, Alakuko, Meiran, Sango areas of Lagos and Ogun states have been gripped by fear after suspected cultists embarked on street-to-street robbery. The boys numbering over 50 were alleged to have also raided Mao Junction at Kola, Adenola Abiola, Adeneka, Dalemo fleecing traders and residents of their money.

It was gathered that the attacks commenced on Thursday after rival cult groups clashed in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State which spiraled into Lagos. The hoodlums said to be between ages 19 and 27, seemed to have taken advantage of the supremacy tussle to attack innocent traders and residents, fleecing them of their money and other valuables.

It  was learnt that they move around with different weapons which they used to threaten their victims to surrender their money and allegedly rape women in some places, a development that forced most of the residents to pick up sticks, cutlasses and storm the street in self-defense.

Raising alarm on the robbery through his Twitter account, a researcher Olagoke Sunday said: “Confirmed! Boys” have started street to street robbery around Alagbado, Alakuko up to Sango axis. This might spread to other locations if drastic measure is not taken by the government.” Corrobora-ting his post, another resident @mayurz2007 said it was not a joke as a landlord has been killed at Micon area and the hoodlums were continuing their acts of looting shops and houses with no security presence. A woman, who said her family lives in Alagbado, disclosed that she contacted her mother who confirmed robberies were ongoing.

Residents of Abudu-Iyana-Ilogbo community, near Sango, in Ogun State, said yesterday that a four-man gang which terrorized the area, wielding machetes and other weapons, demanded for food items even as they refused to steal house valuables, including phones. Community leaders of Iwajowa CDA in Abudu area of Ogun State, Waheed Omotosho, Ajayi Adeniyi and Ajibola Lukman, told The Nation on Saturday that their community and the Ajerogun CDA have been under siege since Tuesday following information they got that desperate robbers had perfected plots to raid the area. “When they finally invaded our community,Vigilante group and our members confronted them. They ran into the swamp but one of them was arrested at Abudu-Iyana Ilogbo area by Vigilante group. He has since been handed over to the DPO who personally led policemen to the area,” he said.

Tunde Rasheed, a resident of Matogun, near Oke-Aro in Agbado area of Ogun State also said, “We got information that the bad boys are planning to raid our communities in search of food. Already, vigilante groups are burning tyres and some residents are drafted to assist in keeping watch in the area.”

Lagos Police spokesperson, DSP Bala Elkana, said “Police in Lagos foiled robbery attempt in communities under Ogun State and deployed Special Strike Force on Social Miscreants and tactical teams to different parts of Lagos State to tackle the menace of social miscreants. 36 suspects were arrested. Also, 20 suspects were arrested within Ilaje and Ajah communities for gang violence. Seven gangsters who engaged in stealing and looting under the guise of supremacy battle were arrested in Apapa. Nine suspects were also arrested along Abule Egba and Ifako areas.

Although the Ogun State Police Command deployed operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Anti-Cultism unit and detachments from the Sango-Ota Area Command to quell the unrest, Police spokesman in Ogun Abimbola Oyeyemi denied reports of robbery incidents in Sango, but cult clashes, noting that the people were apprehensive and raising false alarms. He said the police have been on that issue for several days and have even made many deployments to the area but no resident has come forward to confirm he or she was a victim of the robbery.

However, Oyeyemi on Friday confirmed there was cult clash in Ifo Local Government Area (LGA) which metamorphosed into robbery and other criminal activities and warranted the massive deployment of police operatives. He also confirmed that the team commenced aggressive and intelligence based patrols of Ifo, Owode Ijako, Joju, Ijoko and Agbado areas, adding that their efforts yielded positive results as five of the hoodlums were apprehended in Ijako.