Despite palpable evidence and public outrage, the Police have dismissed reports of coordinated onslaught and robbery by hoodlums on residents of Lagos and Ogun.
The police dismiss the reports when the commissioner for the force in Lagos and Ogun appeared on ‘your view’, a discussion programme on TVC monitored by LagosTimes.
The Lagos State Police Commissioner, Hakeem Odumosu said it was the apprehension of Impending robbery attack that led to the pandemonium.
He said there was no robbery attack, adding that the police was better prepared to forestall the occurence of such incident.
“We did not receive any complaints from anybody. It was just that apprehension ‘they are coming, they are coming.’ Now they are claiming that they want to form vigilante. We patrolled round all night even till now to let people know that the police is up to the task and they are assured of their lives and properties.
The Commissioner, however, disclosed that 39 boys had been apprehended for the unrest in Agege on Sunday.
Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Ebrimson also debunks reports of armed robberies in some parts of the state.
Ebrimson said his men were fully on ground at Ifo, Ota and Oke Aro areas of the state and there were no armed robbery attacks as rumoured by social media users.
He said it was the bonfire being lit by some boys in the area that caused apprehension among residents, adding that what they were thwarting was supremacy battle between warring factions of cultists.
“The panic is being caused by some boys burning tires. What we have been curtailing is cult supremacy battles by cultists. We urge landlords and the boys burning tires to stop causing panic among the residents.
LagosTimes had earlier reported a massive onslaught by suspected hoodlumsonslaught by suspected hoodlums on residents of Ogba, Agege, Iyana Ipaja in Lagos.
There were also barrage of complaints by residents of Owode, Ilepa, Ifo, Arigbajo, Itori, Dalemo, Ijoko, Ogba Ayo, Mosa, Joju, Sango, Ota, Oniyale among other communities in Ifo and Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Areas of Ogun State over how armed men had taken over the streets, attacking them day and night and taking their valuables.
An Ogun resident, Mark Adebayo had described the situation as a total security meltdown.
“It’s a total security meltdown. My house is close to the epicentre of the bad boys’ bloody crimes. Even today, broad daylight, from around 11am to 2pm, starting from Agbado station, to Ope-Ilu, Almoruf, Ola-Ogun, Abule, Lemode, Ibaragun, Ijoko, the boys in their numbers on bikes attacked residents and robbed them.
“They were armed with dangerous weapons and, surprisingly, POS machines. If you don’t have cash, you’re compelled to submit your ATM card to them at gunpoint while your account is emptied. Reprieve only came when residents summoned courage, mobilised and launched a counte⁷rattack to repel them.
“We don’t sleep at nights, now we don’t have peace in the day. I’m a direct witness of the scary scenarios.” he said