Police deny reports on ‘One million boys’
By Chioma Joseph
An aged-man, simply identified as Mr. Owenco, has reported died, after he was attacked by a robbery gang, suspected to be one million boys, at the Surulere area of Lagos.
Reports have it that the gang had written to the community three days earlier, before striking last Friday night, around 7p.m., looting shops, and houses in the area.
It was gathered that Mr. Owenco, who was attacked with cutlasses and broken bottles, had sustained cut wounds on parts of his body, resulting in unnecessary loss of blood.
According to a Facebook user, Samuel Salami, who lamented the death, the elderly man was rushed to a private hospital in Ijesha, (name withheld), where he gave up the next morning.
Salami who claimed to be a friendd to the decaesed person’s son, wrote: “ While the nation is bereaved of President Chief of Staff Abba Kyari, my bosom friend Adewale Junaid lost his Dad in the hands of the notorious one Million Boys at Ijesha, Surulere, Lagos.
“ He was rushed to the hospital at Funto Hospital, along Ijesha road but unfortunately gave up the ghost early this morning due to the multiple machete cuts all over his body and head.
“ One million boys nefarious activity is real, Incase anyone is still in doubt and believe the news are speculations or false information as concluded by the Nigeria Police Lagos CP Hakeem Odunosu and many others.
“ The remain of my bosom friend Dad is hereby laid to rest, we wish him eternal rest, Lagosians be on RED ALERT, protect and guide yourself with all that you can and you have, those boys are real, mean and heartless blood thirsty gang. Rest in peace Mr. Owenco.”
Contacted for comments on the alleged murder, the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Elkana Bala said the police in the state wass not a aware of any such killing.
Bala said the said attack and death was completely false, saying what happened in Ijesha was purely a gang war.
He said: “ it is completely false. What happened was that in the name of coming out to form groups to guard their communities, the Ijeahs boys, Aguda boys and Itire boys came out in their number. These boys most of whom were hoodlums, had a running battle. They used the opportunity of coming out to to themselves, they clashed at Aguda.
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“ Those boys are not one million boys, they are area boys. We have nine of them arrested, four cutlasses and broken bottles have been recovered, and we are not aware of anyone that died. We don’t have record of any death, nobody came to report that his father of family member was killed. ”
Earlier in a statement issued on Sunday, the command stated vigilante groups created by youths in parts of Lagos must be monitored by the police so as not to create more fear and panic.
The command also stated that security agencies in the state had also engaged in confidence building patrol in parts of the state.
The statement reads: “ The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, and Heads of other security agencies in Lagos State, which include Army, Air force, Navy, DSS, etc, embarked on confidence building patrol across the length and breadth of Lagos State.
“ The large convoy of the security chiefs visited Ikeja, Mangoro, Iyana Ipaja, Agege, Dopemu, Ojodu, Berger, Ogba, Abattoir, Oshodi, Mushin, Lawanson, Surulere, Orile, Bode Thomas, Sabo, Ejigbo, Aguda, Ijesha, Ago Okota, Festac, Ejigbo, Ikotun, Idimu, Agege, ikotun, Idimu, Igando, Mushin, Surulere, Festac, Kofo Abayomi, Ajah, Ilaje, Langbasa, Adeniji Adele, Ebute Ero, Apapa, Ajengule, Tolu, Amukoko, Ijora Badia, Layeni, among others.
“ The Commissioner of Police and other speakers addressed the residents of the various communities in English, Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa Languages. The Commissioner of Police reassured them of the unwavering commitment of law enforcement agencies in the State to protect their lives and properties. The CP advised residents to shun rumour mongering and spreading fake news. He described the rumour making the rounds on social media that a gang of criminals known as ‘one million boys’ planning to attack some communities in Lagos State, as baseless.
“ That the Command under his watch has in the last four months incapacitated the gang and other criminal elements in the State with the arrest of over 800 suspects and recovery of over 40 various categories of firearms. That on assumption of duty as Commissioner of Police Lagos State, he launched a special operation known as Special Strike Force on Social Miscreants with a mandate to identify the various cult and gangs in the State, isolate them, and bring them to justice. The Operations which is intelligence driven, took the battle to their doorsteps, targeted their top hierarchy and dealt decisively with them.
“ The war against cultism and gangsterism requires a collective approach. The CP called on Community leaders, traditional rulers, religion leaders, Landlords association, etc to support the ongoing onslaught on criminal elements in the State. He urged parents to monitor the activities of their children and wards and ensure that their children are not recruited into any criminal gang.
“ On the spontaneous creation of vigilante groups by youths in various communities, the CP said thought, it is one of the principles of community policing for citizens to participate in policing their local communities, it has to be monitored and controlled by the Police for quality assurance. Such vigilante groups must conduct themselves in a way that their activities will not create more tension and panic, as witnessed in the manner some of them were in the last few days seen displaying dangerous weapons and burning tyres.
“ Their conducts creating more panics and in some instances, residents assumed them to be armed robbers and gangsters. In order to address this gap, community leaders and landlords associations among others, are tasked with the responsibility of vetting the youths the communities trust enough to participate in policing their neighbourhoods. The Neighbourhoods Watch initiative must be strictly monitored and controlled. ”
It was also learnt that the Chief of Air Staff had graciously deployed Air force Helicopters to join the Police Helicopters initially deployed for aerial surveillance by the Police.
Both the Air force and Police Helicopters are to provide air supports to the Special Forces on ground, who do round the clock patrols and surveillance across the State.
