Residents of Lagos Mainland highlight insecurity

A cross section of the residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that hoodlums were having a field day in the area and the police had been unable to curb their activities.

Taiwo Oguntoyinbo, a businessman who resides at Ebute Metta East and operates a business centre on Herbert Macaulay Street, said he was a victim of armed robbers on August 13.

“I was fast asleep when I suddenly heard a hard kick on my door and some strange voices asking me to open the door,” he said.

Mr Oguntoyinbo said the robbers, who were well armed, asked him and his family members to lie down on the ground as they carted away their valuables.

“We were also beaten mercilessly after which they proceeded to rob other tenants in the building.”

Mr Oguntoyinbo said the calls to the police after the incident yielded no response.

Abiodun Bello, a landlady whose property is also on Herbert Macaulay Way, said that the insecurity had prevailed for a long time and many lived in fear.

Mrs Bello said it was not unusual to hear gunshots almost every day in the area, a situation which she said was beginning to affect not only the residents, but also businesses in the locality. She said some petrol stations and companies had fallen victim to armed robbers a number of times.

The landlady urged the government to provide sophisticated weapons for the police and boost their welfare, explaining that such an action would encourage them to be more effective.

She said better security by the police more imperative now in the “Ember” months with its attendant rise in crime.

Desola Abina, a car dealer who also resides in Ebute Metta, said he was at an Oando petrol station on Herbert Macaulay Street sometime in August when robbers struck, causing many to flee. He said the robbers shot into the air to scare people off and went away with some money. Mr Abina called on the police to intensify security patrols as the year is running out.

Ibrahim Ahmed, an automobile engineer who has a workshop on Apapa Road, said he had been closing early due to insecurity and appealed to the police to curb the menace of the robbers.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Samuel Jinadu, denied that the police did not respond to distress calls. He said the police had increased patrols of the area by posting more men to some “black spots”, adding that the command was doing everything possible to ensure safety for all.

Mr Jinadu called on the public to cooperate by reporting suspicious movements and gatherings in the area.