Residents of Lagos, especially those living in the suburbs of the city, are now jittery as armed robbers have become increasingly daring and vicious, sending alerts and notice of intention to attack targeted neighbourhoods
The residents have, therefore, cried out to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the state governor, to muster all the powers at his disposal to protect them from these robbers who, citing hunger emanating from the COVID-19 lockdown, have over-run their areas.
Some of the affected areas are Alapere in Ketu, Surulere, Okota, Ejigbo, Igando, Isashi, etc. Residents of these areas no longer sleep at night as the armed robbers, especially the rampaging gang known One Million Boys, have become not only daring, but also vicious.
Earlier in the week, after robbing in Ikotun, Egbeda, Igando, and Ejigbo areas, the gang circulated an alert letter to the residents of Ikota in Oshodi-Isolo local government area of the state, threatening to come to rob and asking the residents to cooperate with them.
The alert letter which BusinessDay sighted reads: “One Million Boys are coming to visit your area very soon. So, make everybody prepare. If you don’t comply, we will cut your hand.”
On Wednesday night, the boys made good their threat, visited the area and robbed Green Field Estate located along the Ago Palace Way, towards Ago-Amuwo Link Bridge. That same night, they also visited Lila Street, off Ago Palace Way.
In a related development, Thursday morning, another gang that calls itself 100 Million Boys of Nigeria Surulere circulated a letter to the tenants of a street in Ijeshatedo in Surulere, notifying them that they would be visiting the tenants this week.
“We advise you comply and prepare for our coming. If you try to contact the police or any other security (means) it will be bloody for everyone there. Bear in mind that we are dangerous and can take any risk of action,” the alert letter reads in part.
“The situation is this bad and that is why we are appealing to the state government and the state’s commissioner of police to do all they can to save our lives and property,” pleaded an Okota resident who did not want his name mentioned.
BusinessDay had in an earlier report hinted how some Lagos communities have resorted to self-help since they don’t see security operatives’ presence in all of this. Many of these communities now keep night vigil, burning tyres on major roads and streets in the thinking that the rubbers will be scared.
In many locations, communities like gated estates are major targets. Residents of such communities now live in fear and their management has urged them to “sleep well in the afternoon and be at alert at night.”
“But how long are we going to continue like this”? asked Simon Okonjo, a freight forwarder who lives in one of the recently attacked communities, noting that since these people are operating without being challenged by security operatives, it means residents have to prepare for the worst.
Okonjo is one of the many Lagos residents who chided President Muhammadu Buhari for extending the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and the federal capital territory (FCT) Abuja without addressing the security concerns in these cities. “We expected the president to assure residents of these cities of safety even in the midst of hunger,” he said.
A couple of days ago, however, Lagos State government said it was addressing the insecurity issues in the state, promising to be giving one meal daily to 100,000 residents, mostly youths. Additionally, the state said it will be giving an undisclosed amount of money to 250,000 poor residents of the state.
All these, Sanwo-Olu explained, was to respond to the hunger and other forms of hardship arising from the lockdown and stay-at-home order given by the federal government as part of measures to stem the spread of coronavirus in the country.
