Residents become vigilantes as thugs raid Ogun, Lagos communities

Residents including landlords, tenants and youths in some communities in Lagos and Ogun states have voluntarily depriving themselves of sleep at night to keep watch over their areas, which have come under the siege of hoodlums, TopNaija.ng reports.

The residents revealed to journalists that the hoodlums took advantage of the current lockdown in both states occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic to rob them of their valuables and rape their wives and daughters in border communities in both states.

In a bid to forestall further incidents, the landlords and residents were said to have taken the safety of lives and property in the affected areas into their own hands by working with vigilante group to watch over the communities.

A landlord in the Aiyede community of the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, Rasaq Abejoye, said the hoodlums attacked residents of Ifo between Wednesday and Saturday, adding that neighbouring communities had to beef up security as a result.

He stated, “Some days ago, the hoodlums attacked and robbed residents of Ifo and they have been encroaching on the neighbouring communities also. These hoodlums have been using the lockdown to their advantage and have been dispossessing people of their valuables. My house is in Aiyede and what we did to keep our community safe was for us to become vigilantes.

“Since last week, landlords and youths have been watching over the community at night. Around midnight on Thursday, I was among the landlords, who volunteered to keep watch over the community. We usually start from 8pm till around2.30am, but the youth usually stay longer than that and they also move around the area to send a signal that they are on guard.”

Another landlord in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state, Bola Farinloye, said the attacks were a ripple effect of the lockdown, adding that most of the hoodlums perpetrating the crime were from Lagos State.

Farinloye said, “When they were building the Ilepo Market, some traders migrated to the Ijoko area in Ado-Odo/Ota and the hoodlums followed them. The hoodlums have been surviving in the community by engaging in different kinds of jobs. But when the lockdown started, because they had no other means of survival, they started robbing people.

“Initially, we reported to the police but they often come, raid and go, while the hoodlums’ illegal activities continue. So, landlords and youths in Ilogbo, Owode, Ilepa, Ijako, Isaka, Isorosi, Ewupe, Anisere and Agbado-Crossing, among others, have become vigilantes to watch over the communities.”

In a bid to curb the attacks, another landlord in Ado-Odo/Ota, Adedamola Abulkareem, said traditional authorities in the area had unleashed the Oro deity to scare away the hoodlums.

“The hoodlums even raped the wives of some landlords, who could not give them money during the attack. But to scare them away, the Oro deity has been unleashed. We have also informed the police and they have been patrolling our area,” Abdulkareem said.

Young people in the area, in a bid to curb the attacks, clashed with the hoodlums, which created tension in the area in the process.

A resident, Ganiyu Adeniyi, said bonfires were made by the youths, who turned themselves into vigilantes at night, adding that the Oko-Oba Police Station had been notified about the development.

He said, “Solomon Grace, the Miyaki Relaxation Centre, Jibowu, Karimu Alabi and other areas in Abule-Egba have been enveloped in tension due to attacks by the hoodlums. Yesterday (Saturday), about 30 armed hoodlums were about to perpetrate crime in the area when the youth clashed with them. They have been robbing us in the area, but the youth have to risen to the challenge.

“Landlords and youths in the community are the ones guarding us now, because the situation has gone out of control. They usually make bonfires at midnight so the hoodlums will be aware that they are not asleep.”

Similarly, pandemonium broke out on Sunday evening as suspected members of the Awawa Boys and One Million Boys stormed the Agege area of Lagos and dispossessed many residents of their valuables.

A resident, Kuburat Oyelakin, said “The Awawa Boys and One Million Boys have been robbing residents in their houses with guns in Agege. On Sunday evening, people living in Dopemu, Capitol Road, Amowo and Oko-Oba areas came onto the roads to watch over their areas, because of the insecurity they have been experiencing.

“We have been hearing gunshots in the area and everywhere is tensed.”

It was gathered that the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, had deployed the personnel of the Rapid Response Squad and other units in the area to restore peace and arrest the hoodlums.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Command, on Sunday, dismissed claims that armed robbers had taken over some parts of Ifo and Ado-Odo/Ota local government areas of the state.

It, however, paraded no fewer than 150 suspects in connection with the unrest in some parts of both local government councils.

There have been complaints of robberies and unrest by residents of Owode, Ilepa, Ifo, Arigbajo, Itori, Dalemo, Ijoko Joju, Sango, Ota, Ifo and Agbado-Ijaiye, among others.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Kenneth Ebrimson, led journalists to the troubled areas and paraded 150 suspects arrested in connection with the unrest in the affected communities.

Addressing journalists during the parade held at the Ifo Divisional Police Station, Ebrimson said there was no report of robbery to the command by anyone in the troubled areas.

The CP explained that what happened were cult clashes among seven rival groups in the areas as a result of the killing of one of the cultists.