Residents of Ajegunle in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State have given the military thumbs-up for their role in ensuring a crime-free yuletide.

According to them, for the past eight years the area had witnessed high crime rate during the Christmas period.

Many who spoke on condition of anonymity said few weeks before Christmas, there were high number of robberies by youths who go about in huge numbers, brandishing different weapons.

One of the residents said: “Their acts left bitter taste in the mouth of many. In Ajegunle, the entire local government secretariat, over 100 cars were set ablaze.

“Mostly hit were the canal axis of Apasa, Itire, Amukoko, Alaba, Market Street, Coker Close, Agbamu, Owodunni, Alafia, Tejumola, Adejiyan, Campus, Ezeagu and Ojo Road. The list is endless. Innocent people were killed, houses and shops vandalised.

Just before Christmas, the leader of one of the gangs from Apasa was killed by military operatives when he tried to disarm a soldier during a confrontation. His gang members were over-powered and arrested by the military operatives. Since their arrest, peace has returned to the area, as the military presence almost became permanent.”

For them, this is the best Christmas they have celebrated as there was hardly any incident of crime.

Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity said:“The presence of military operatives really helped calm the area. We pray that this will continue. We cannot afford to live in fear. These boys have made life unbearable for a lot of families.

“The solution we’re profering is that the military and other security agencies must be proactive by randomly carrying out surveillance on the aforementioned areas to nip the crisis in its bud. The partial peace attained must be sustained by continually visiting and apprehending suspects for profiling.”