Arepo boils again as 20 armed hoodlums raid estates, abducts woman

These are trouble times indeed for residents of Arepo community, close to Berger on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.

While ripples of the abduction of three girls by armed hoodlums at the Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary secondary school at Agunfoye-Lugbusi community in Adamo, Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State on Monday night, reports reaching our newsroom said heavily armed bandits suspected to be oil vandals displaced by the Federal Government early on Tuesday morning, stormed Orange and Voera Estates in Arepo area, injured scores of the residents and kidnapped an unidentified woman.

An eye witness who escaped by a hairbreadth told The Daily Times that the heavily armed hoodlums numbering over 20, raided many houses in the early hours of the day, injuring many people in the process.

A resident at nearby Journalists Estate who was visiting a friend at Orange Estate was lucky to call his friend who told him to stay away, that hoodlums were on the prowl.

“I was hearing sounds of heavy machine guns and my friend said people were fleeing in all directions for safety.” The witnessed further said the operation lasted for some 45 minutes yet the police or the army did not show up.

Some victims who spoke to our correspondent on Thursday lamented that the robbers who were vicious and furious beat the daylight out of many. A baker who sustained injuries and bruises said only God must have stopped them from shooting everyone at sight.

“They also beat up and raped some women and took away valuables besides household items and cash. They were very confident and fierce; they were going from street to street and from house to house.”

The invaders were said to have made their exit through the marshy area towards Agric in Ikorodu, Lagos and abducted one woman as they left.

Another resident of Voera Estate who was still too scared to give his name said he cannot go back to his house because of what he saw.

It would be recalled that Arepo and adjoining communities have been the target of brutal murders of security men and raiding of residents in the last year and little respite has come from the Ogun State Government and the Nigeria Police Force.

“This area is now like a war zone; armed bandits come in and go at will and police authorities are not doing anything about it,” lamented one Mukadam Ajisafe, a business man who is hanging out with friends outside the community.

“Is Gov. Ambode in Lagos state, or Ibikunle Amosu of Ogun state saying they don’t know what is happening here? Is the Police Commissioner not hearing about our plight?

“What do we have governors and a president for? Every time oil thieves or just armed robbers overrun our communities and hold us to ransom and nobody can do anything for us.

“Is this really a change, or have we become another Boko Haram territory? Something just has to be done for us,” he said, “Government is supposed to protect lives and properties and that is what we are asking for,” he said.