By Adeola Badru

With no fewer than 30 shops and several houses burgled and set ablaze by suspected miscreants popularly called One Million Boys, in some areas of Ibadan, weekend, residents and traders in the area have started counting their losses worth millions of naira.

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The affected areas were Idi-Arere, Asaka and Oja-Igbo in Ibadan South East, Ibadan South West and Ibadan North East Local Governments Areas.

Miffed by the incident, the state government has vowed to bring the culprits responsible for the incident to book.

Speaking with journalists, one of the victims, Mr. Kolawole Sodehinde, said the incident at Idi-Arere was carried out by some known hoodlums around 2 am on Sunday.

Sodehinde said that the suspected hoodlums had besieged the area with rifle and petrol which they used in perpetrating the dastardly act.

“We called the police at Mapo Police Station who refused to answer us. We called the fire service who said they can only come if they have police protection.

“I later called the Commissioner of Police who sent a team of policemen to the scene within 15 minutes,’’ he said.

Sodehinde said that the eight shops burgled in the area were also set ablaze by the suspected hoodlums.

Another victim, Kazeem Adepoju, who spoke with Vanguard, disclosed that the affected structures included shops belonging to fashion designers, soft drink sellers, electronics sellers, frozen food sellers and cooking material sellers, among others.

“It was when we woke up that we saw everything. It is not up to Popoyemoja, it stopped at Idi-Arere, from the junction to Bode Road.”

“Though, I didn’t count the number of shops, but, it stretched from the junction to the Alleluyah petrol station. But, we are talking of about 30 shops on both sides of the road.”

At Asaka area, Basirat Ahmed and Adigun Mutiu described the perpetrators as known hoodlums, who also engaged in robbery in the area.

The duo said that the eight shops burgled in the area were also set ablaze by the suspected hoodlums.

However, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, who expressed sympathy with the victims of the mayhem, yesterday, during on-the-spot inspection to the area, has mandated the state Police Command to fish out the perpetrators of the act at different locations in the state, saying that anyone arrested should be treated like a hardened criminal.

Ajimobi, who was represented by his deputy, Chief Moses Adeyemo, said that the state government would not condone such dastardly act in the state.

“Before our administration came on board, this state was known for brigandage, killings and violence. Since we came on board, our administration is known for peace and security.

“Those who did this are enemies of government and peace loving people of this state. I assure you that those who did this will never know peace.

“We won’t condone it and will ensure those responsible for the crime are apprehended and prosecuted,’’ he said.

Ajimobi said that government would support the victims of the violence and urged them not to take laws into their hands.

The governor also called on the parents to ensure proper training and upbringing of their children and wards.

In his reaction, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Odude, urged the people to show understanding during the response of the men of the force to distress call, stating that the police need more intelligence to get its work done.

Odude disclosed that eleven people had been arrested in connection with the mayhem, urging the people not to hesitate in feeding the security agencies adequate information which will lead to the quick arrest of the hoodlums involved in the mayhem.