By Ifeanyi Okolie
The notoriety of Mushin area of Lagos State seem to be degenerating of late.  For sometime now, a lingering fracas has continued to rear its ugly head as no two days passes without recording one ugly incident or the other in the area.

The crisis, as gathered, has been between warring factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the area who are fighting over leadership.  Security watchers said no fewer than five deadly clashes were recorded in the area since the beginning of this year with many killed and properties worth billions, destroyed.

Scene of mayhem at Mushin.

In fact, social miscreants that abound plenty in the area have capitalized on the unending crisis, not only wreck  havoc on both the residents of the area and visitors, but constitute nuisance to security operatives.  Crime alert learnt that policemen at the two stations strategically positioned in the area are always at alert, no thanks to the activities of miscreants in te area.

Investigations carried out by Crime Alert revealed that the activities of these hoodlums are centered around Akala Street.

Residents of the area and adjoining streets who spoke with Crime Alert under the guise of strict anonymity, for fear of their lives,  expressed total disenchantment with what is going on in the area.  One of them who simply identified himself as Kunle, a 60-year old Civil Servant stated that the street is a safe haven for drug traffickers and armed robbers.

According to him;”  Drug barons, at Akala, including Indian hemp and heroin dealers, on daily bases, go about their business uninterrupted and  without fear of being harassed by the authorities.

The street has now turned into a major distribution zone in Indian hem supply in Lagos State as they sale the drugs in bags openly in almost all the shops that are scattered across the streets.   It seems like  government has lost its legitimacy as criminals are committing crimes  at will, without the police or other security agencies  interfering in the area”, he stated.

A youth whose bosom friend stays in the area narrated his own perception of Akala Street, “An afternoon walk along the street presents a  neighborhood filled with cramped houses, dirty roads and shops along the streets are loaded with bags containing Indian hemp on a long stretch, with a little space where users would stay and smoke.

And some little children with their dirty looking cloths ran over the street.   Young men, in their early twenties were seen  gathered in a  small group of about fifteen around a wooden stall, where locally -brewed hot drinks, known as Ogogoro are sold.  They busied themselves with  long wraps of marijuana  while they sipped on Ogogoro.

Strangers are treated with a huge suspicion, and for a first timer, the sight of these hoodlums would certainly elicit  fear, owing to the awful glare they would fix at you.    Some unlucky ones end up being robbed unchallenged and their valuables carted away. And the police are seemingly tired of the constant  reports they get from the area.

Even when a victim reports a case of robbery from Akala,   the police pay little attention.   Rather, they always advise victims to avoid the area”.

From all indications, the large number of criminals in Akala Street and its environs, has degenerated to a disturbing state of insecurity in the entire area of Mushin, as residents are no longer safe to move freely at night, due to repeated attacks on defenseless individuals.

Another resident of the area who claims to be a security guard in one of the banks told Crime Alert, “I would like to place on record that some of these hoodlums that constitute nuisance in Akala Street does not even live here.  They have simply cashed in on the notoriety of the street to wreck havoc daily on defenseless people.  I blame some of our boys for not making things easy for us all.

This situation has currently split the Landlords Association into two.  This is because, when some of the landlords made efforts to eject the bad tenants in our midst, those benefitting from their illicit trade and robbery exploits stood against it”.

Muyiwa Kolade, a resident from an adjoining street, also expressed dismay over what is happing in Akala. He fingered insecurity as the toughest challenge residents of the area have been facing.

According to him,  “This is not a joke, the situation has gone so bad and it has gone beyond control.   On daily bases,  we hear countless number of cases of violent attacks on innocents individuals, and they were perpetrated by these Akala Boys.  The situation has deteriorated beyond control and we do not know what else to do.

The worst aspect of it all is that Akala boys are presently being used as mercenaries by a faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW, which have been having leadership tussle, to attack the other faction.    While these people fight among themselves, the Akala boys cash in on the situation and loot shops, destroy properties.  What you saw last Tuesday, where two people were left dead ,is typically what the Akala boys can do.

They razed vehicles and houses.  We are feed up and government needs to come to our aid.   Something has to be done before they turn Mushin into the Niger Delta. You need to see the kind of ammunition they were brandishing while they fought with the NURTW, you will go dumb. If government can sanitize, Oluwole in Lagos Island, Oshodi and other notorious areas , they should come and sanitize this Akala Street.

Most of the boys you see there are not from this community but only God knows how they found their way down here.”

Jude Olubumi, a trader at the popular Mushin Market told Crime Alert that the sanitization of the Akala street and its environ will form their opinion on how to vote. “We need peace and security of our lives and that of our children.

The way this Akala issue is moving, if the Governor fails to take decisive action, we will not return our votes to him. It is shameful   At this age and time and in a metropolitan city like Lagos State, a place like Akala still exist.

It is wicked for government to allow this.  Our children are all exposed to drugs and I am scared of what will make of their future.  I want to repeat this, we will only vote for someone who will clean up Akala and chase away the criminals that have taken over there”, he stated.