•Call on Police for help

By Ediri Ejoh & Ediri Michael

Residents of the densely populated Amukoko area, Lagos, are currently living in fear owing to incessant and unprecedented attacks by hoodlums on daily basis.

Hundreds of miscreants would take to the streets attacking anyone at sight.

Property of innocent residents have been destroyed in the process, an action that sent some landlords who relied solely on the rent for their families’ upkeep, to their early graves.

Traders also had their wares while unsuspecting customers were dispossessed of cash and other valuables. These miscreants also brazenly dared the police as a policeman who was going home after work last week was attacked in the night

 Residents’ lamentation

According to the residents, aside the physical attacks, the hoodlums would parade themselves from one street to the other puffing out wiff of Indian hemp on the faces of passerby and any attempt to reprimand them would lead to the person being attacked.

A resident who simply identified himself as Lateef said “I can tell you that we are gradually dying in this area. We are constantly faced with threats to our lives on daily basis. The environment is so polluted and unsecured. Aside being constantly harassed with weapons like guns, “the greatest challenge is that landlords who used to stand up to these hoodlums are dead . Those who were attacked after challenging them have been forced to relocate. As it is now, no one can challenge them.

•Amukoko …deserted area

 Schools also affected

Saturday Vanguard gathered that most parents have now withdrawn their children from schools in the area in a bid to prevent them from being embroiled in any likely attacks. Some teachers in government schools have also sought transfer elsewhere.

Appeal

When Saturday Vanguard visited some o f the schools, most proprietors and principal lamented the decrease in the intake of pupils into schools. At Johnson Grammar School Ishaga Close, a cross section of students who compared the situation to a refugee camp, appealed to the state government to intervene.

A Senior Secondary School 3 student who pleaded anonymity said: “We don’t know what is going on in the area again. Some time ago, some students were hospitalized while trying to run away from a cross fire from some warring factions. Some of my friends have stopped schooling and remained at home for security reasons while others have relocated to other areas.

Police have failed us

Another student who also pleaded anonymity said: “The air we breathe in here is harmful to our health as these boys are seen smoking Indian Hemp publicly all the time. Several times, they boasted that nobody could bring them to order. Whenever there were street fights, these boys openly brandished their and would start shooting into the air. Government needs to take a drastic action so that we can have a peaceful atmosphere for learning and livelihood.”   According to a resident, Clement, he said “The worst of all is that the security agencies which we depended upon have failed us. For instance, whenever they came to carry out raids here, they ended up arresting the innocent ones while the miscreants were allowed to go”.

During a visit to the areas last Monday and Tuesday, some shops were still under lock . Saturday Vanguard gathered that some of the owners left them permanently shut owing to incessant raids by the miscreants.

Others were said to have locked up for the day after news filtered in that policemen were coming to raid the area.

One of the traders who identified herself as Mrs. Joy Omoye, argued that the security operatives often arrested the traders whenever they raided the communities.

She said “We do not have money to bail ourselves when arrested. Often times the least amount paid for bail wass N10, 000.

“In fact, the police are not helping matters at all because they have never caught those who were making the area uninhabitable.

However Saturday Vanguard was reliably informed that the constant raid of the area was aimed at arresting those who attacked a policeman at Apasa area two weeks ago during a fight between the factions in Safejo and Apasa in Amukoko under Ifelodun LCDA. So far, police sources said several arrests had been made.

 Peace initiative

In a bid to proffer a lasting solution , the outgoing council Chairman and some community leaders held a peace meeting between the communities and police last week.

Present at the peace forum were the Area Commander, Area B command, Apapa, Divisional Police Officer in-charge of Layeni and Amukoko divisions, the council chairman and some landlords.

The landlords then appealed to the police to work with vigilantes in the area with a view to getting useful information that would aid the arrest of those who attacked the policeman as well as apprehending miscreants who have been fomenting trouble in the area.