By Uju Mbanusi and Angela Okpe

The popular and ever-busy Mile 2 in Amuwo-Odofin L.G.A., Lagos State, has turned into a hot crime spot.  The area which serves as both entry and exit points to several major suburbs and even neighbouring countries like Cotonour, Seme etc, has turned into a nightmare to motorists and passersbye.  In fact, it is now a magnet for all kinds of criminal activities.

The situation has gotten so bad to the extent that some aggrieved youths now arm themselves with dangerous weapons  like  cutlasses and jack- knives with a view to defending themselves when the hoodlums  strike.  Worse still, the re-construction of roads currently going on in the  area has  created traffick gridlocks which make it easier for criminals to have a field day by unleashing terror on motorists stuck in the traffick.

*Chilling accounts

Investigations carried out by Crime Guard revealled that some commercial motorists and street traders also connive with the hoodlums to carry out their nefarious activities both in daylight and at nights.  This is in spite of the heavy presence of combined teams of armed policemen, men of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Soldiers attached to OP Messa, operatives from the Surveillance unit of the Nigeria Police and State Security Service, SSS including even uniformed men from Lagos State Traffick Management Authority, LASTMA.

*Traffic congestion on the Berger axis of Oshodi-Apapa expressway due to reconstruction of the road

Eyewitnesses said the hoodlums who always come in groups of five, seven and even more, usually waylay motorists in hold-ups and threaten them with dangerous weapons including guns after which the helpless victims will either part with their money and valuables or end up being wounded if they failed to obey them.  Some were even fatally shot.

Commuters who ply the Apapa/ Oshodi, and Orile/ Barracks route gave chilling accounts of their encounter with the hoodlums to Crime Guard. A construction worker with Julius Berger stated that the rate at which robbers operate on the Mile 2 axis is alarmingly on the increase. According to him, “No day passes without a robbery incident being recorded.  In early October, a colleague of mine closed from work, as he crossed over to board a bus to Orile, some men pursued and caught up with him. They stole all the money he had on him including his handset.

As if that was not enough, they beat him up. Also, I noticed that some animals that look like bush dogs comes out from the bush between auto-Warf bus-stop and the mile 2 bridge. They attack and kill dogs and other animals.  I think this should be looked into because when I saw the animals one night after my night shift, I knew they were not dogs, they pose a danger to unsuspecting passersby.”

A trader at Auto-Warf simply identified as C.J who spoke with Crime Guard lamented the alarming increase in robbery operations in the area. He narrated how his wife narrowly escaped being a victim. “Robbery incidents take place on a daily basis around here, though I have not witnessed such, my wife was attacked about two months ago on her way to purchase newspapers for sales; she had some money which she wanted to use for the purchase and her hand sets. That morning, around 5:30am, she boarded a bus at Ochakpo-Ajegunle and alighted at Oto-warf, as she made to cross over, she noticed some men walking towards her, at that point she said to her self, that she’d rather die with the men than loose her money and hand set. But before the men could get her, she also thought it wise to run for her life, and that saved the day.”

*Complaints  galore

A motorist who gave his name as Andy lamented that  he has suffered untold hardship in the hands of armed robbers who have been attacking motorists stuck in traffic hold-up in the area.  “I have suffered a lot.  They go in groups of five to seven or more and besiege motorists.  Woe betide you if your glass is not rolled up.   They will not hesitate to dispossess you of all your valuables and  beat you up.  But if your glass is rolled up, a times they will block you in between those heavy trucks where people will not notice what they were doing.

They will then continue to hit on your car ordering you to roll down or they will break the glass.  In most cases, they break the glass with heavy metal and  cart away all your money and valaubles.  They target posh cars and SUVs especially those driven by women.  They avoid cars with large number of passengers but if they decide to strike, they will simply raise up their dirty shirt, show up a gun stuck in their waist and go ahead to rob everybody.

A hawker in the area also told Crime Guard that the activities of hoodlums at the bus stops have affected their trade as most private car owners and other commuters don’t wind down their glasses to purchase anything from them anymore for fear of not knowing who is a genuine hawker or a rogue in disguise. “The hoodlums normally harass motorists to wind down by showing them guns to rob them.

Sometimes, we witness these things but how can we defend the helpless motorists unarmed? We would just think it’s wise to let them be for fear of our own lives should we try to stop them.  No reasonable man  will fight an armed robber. The annoying aspect of it is that you will see armed policemen arresting commercial motorcyclists on top of the bridge while robbers are having a field day a stone throw from them.

Also, some uniformed policemen on foot and on top of bikes usually station themselves strategically on the stretch of road descending into Mile 2 bus stop from the express, they will be busy extorting money from motorists while people are being robbed in the hold-up.  Some bus drivers connive with them and create artificial hold-up on the service lane that connects  Mile two from the express way and you will not see officials of LASTMA clearing the road.  Thats how they create opportunity for these miscreants to attack people.  I don’t know what the police at Mile 2 station are doing.”

When approached, a driver with one of the transport companies identified as Shedrack said, “I have not witnessed such but I do hear people complain of how they have been robbed around here. You know this is an open place; people come around, both business people and touts so, this sort of thing is bound to happen. I think the state government should engage Security Officers to check  activities going on around here especially the local gin (kparaga) and cigarette sellers, because after taking these things, the hoodlums are easily lured into committing such acts.

The security officers need to have a uniform code of conduct and map out strategies to operate  if they want to achieve success in curbing robbery activities around here. They don’t just patrol or raid, but they should always base their activities on accurate information so that they can be effective. Some of these hoodlums operate under much organised system, they have informants as well.”

A private car owner who spoke with Crime Guard anonymously revealed that he witnessed a lot of robbery activities during peak periods, but there was nothing the commuters could do to save the situation as they were not armed to confront the hoodlums who rather operated with sophisticated weapons. “A lot of robbery activities do go on here mostly at peak periods when there is heavy traffic, irrespective of the time of the day.

I ply this route daily and witness some of these operations. There was a day a man was robbed at the bridge top, as if that was not enough, he was dragged down and beating after which they ordered him to lie on the ground; the hoodlums had a field day stepping on him. Everyone else came out of their vehicles and scampered for safety while those who could not run hid in their vehicles.

That very day, some Police Officers were  down the bridge, at the Orile road axis but they acted as if they were not aware of the incident. Do you blame them? When they have noticed the sophisticated weapons the robbers came with, whereas they were not well armed to match them.  On one occasion, the robbers met their match, when they came to operate as usual not knowing that some SARS officers were around.

They took them on and at the end, 3 of the robbers laid dead. So, I strongly feel that if the Police men were adequately trained and equipped, they will be able to put a check on the hoodlums’ menace. It is not only the Mile 2 area that should be focused on, they also operate along Barracks/ Volkwagen road as from 6 – 7pm, that route can be dangerous.”

*Jungle justice

Crime Guard learnt that based on the incessant attacks on both motorists, commuters and passersby, youths working in private companies around the area and those selling cars at the popular Berger yard car depot, have now resorted to taking laws into their hands by arming themselves with cutlasses and attacking the hoodlums anytime any of their colleagues falls victim.

It was gatherd that last week, their colleague from one of the newspaper houses in the area was attacked and wounded by the robbers as he was going home around 10pm.  He ran back and mobilized his colleagues and, armed with cutlasses, they moved towards Mile 2 through Otto Warf.  They reportedly paraded the highway up to the bridge without seeing any of the miscreants.

However, as they were heading back towards Beger Yard, they saw three of them robbing a motorist.  Without wasting time, they went after them with their cutlasses, succeeded in catching one of them.  It was also learnt that two soldiers that met them dealing with the hoodlum, hailed their action and advised that they should continue with a view to eliminating the rest of the members of the gang.

A retired SSS officials who lives at Mile 2 Estate, very close to the hot spot, told Crime Guard that the only solution to the menace of these hoodlums is for plain cloth security operatives to be permanently positioned at strategic areas leading into the area so that they can easily intervene whenever there is a hold up.  “Anything short of this is a waste of time because they have informants who alert them on seeing security men on uniform.

*Police swings into action

Crime Guard also gathered that following this development and based on reports, police authorities in Lagos have swung into action with a view to dealing ruthlessly with the criminals that terrorize people in the area.  In fact, it was authoritatively learnt that security operatives have been directed to shoot on sight anytime they see them in operation.

A police source intimated that proactive measures have been put in place and the State Police boss, Umaru Manko has given matching orders to all the Area Commanders and Divisonal Police Officers incharge of the areas under Mile 2, to put a stop to this increasing attacks or be thrown out. According to the source, “The duty of policing mile 2 was made difficult due to the complex nature of the area.

The responsibility was given to six police divisions across the state.  These divisions includes; Orile, Festac, Satellite, Kirikiri, Trinity and Ajegunle Divisions. Based on this, policemen from these divisions find it difficult crossing over  areas that are not under their jurisdiction.  This situation has made it difficult for them to adequately police that area. Robbery incidents in Mile 2, will continue except something  is done urgently like joint patrol from  these divisions or a new division  created to police the entire Mile 2 area.”