Residents, commuters groan as robbers unleash mayhem in Lagos

From Matthew Aramunde, Lagos

Residents, traders and commuters plying the Ijora-Apapa expressway, in Lagos, have sent out a Save-our-Soul (SOS) to relevant security agencies, as they expressed their worry over what they described as the high rate of robbery incidents that have allegedly, gone unchecked in the past weeks.

In a chat with our correspondent, they revealed that the hoodlums were fond of capitalizing on the incessant traffic snarls on the road to cause the presence of large craters, and then unleash terror on road users.

A victim who gave his name as Mr. Ayanogu Christian, who works in one of the oil companies at Apapa while bemoaning his fate, said that he doesn’t ply the road from 9.00 p.m because the road is now a nightmare to him and other residents.

His words: “The robbers have become a terror to motorists and other road users”, adding that anyone who fails to cooperate with them will have him or herself to blame, as they risk having their car vandalized. “The hoodlums might attack the victim if he or she fails to cooperate with them”, he stated.

He said he had reported the issue several times to the Police on duty at Apapa Area Command, and though they promised to take urgent action, unfortunately nothing has been done about it as the hoodlums continue to perpetrate their act unchallenged.

Another motorist, Mr. Vincent Shobo, said that these set of robbers usually disguise as beggars to rob their victims of their valuables, saying their victims are mostly occupants of posh cars. “That is why I do not give beggars money at night when I am driving, because they always armed themselves with dangerous weapons’’, he added.

A food seller, Mama Joy also told our correspondent that the armed robbers, who were mostly youths, had on daily basis attacked residents and shop owners at night after their operation on the roads. The armed bandits, she claimed, do not only operate at night despite the streetlights but also operate in broad daylight.

According to her, barely weeks ago, two armed robbers snatched a car from a businessman in Apapa area and this is just one out of the numerous attacks.

She appealed to security agencies especially the police, to come to their aid to end the menace.

It was also learnt that the areas where the robbers carry out their criminal activities are Mile-2 Bridge and Coconut area.

The Lagos state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, when contacted about the issue, stated that, “We are on top of the situation; we have not relented in our effort in ensuring that the state is crime-free.

“The truth is that the police cannot be everywhere at the same time. Our goal is to keep Lagos safe and we deploy policemen to every nook and crannies of the state, to ensure that hoodlums do not take over the city,” he stated.