•’No Salaray Boys’ member arrested; residents form vigilante groups’

By Evelyn Usman

ARMED gangs, yesterday, continued their attacks in Lagos and Ogun communities, even as residents in the affected areas have been recounting their ordeals following a day of terror most of them will not forget in a hurry.

With the latest attacks, the fear of most residents has intensified in spite of assurances by the Lagos State government and the Police authorities that they are on top of the situation with the deployment of more security operatives to curtail the rampaging hoodlums.

Horror on Oke-Afa, Ejigbo, Ikotun

Motorists in Lagos plying routes leading into Ejigbo, Egbe, Isheri-Idimu, Ikotun and environs, yesterday night, experienced firsthand the biblical story of driving through the valley of the shadow of death.

Unknown to many of them, communities in these areas were earlier in the day invaded by rampaging hoodlums who unleashed terror on residents before they were repelled by the Police and local vigilante groups.

The resultant clashes turned the affected areas into war zones as guns, cutlasses, bottles were freely used, with most people scampering into the safety of their homes.

For most people returning home from their offices and other places of engagement late at night, it was certainly an experience that will haunt them for a long time as they narrowly escaped being attacked, harmed or worse.

This was the experience of some Vanguard staff either living in the affected areas or had to drive through roads or streets on their way home.

Vanguard staff attacked

Narrating their ordeal, some Vanguard staff said: “From Oke-Afa through Jakande to Ejigbo, there were bonfires littering the roads and serving as an early warning signal that there was indeed trouble ahead.

“The situation took a turn for the worse as you approach the Egbe community leading into the popular Liasu Road. The entire stretch of the road was a festival of bonfires vigorously being stirred and kept burning by local vigilante groups, some wielding machetes which they waved menacingly on fear-stricken motorists trying to find their way home.

“The vigilante members at Idimu were even more menacing as they forced the hapless motorists to part with money before being allowed to drive on. Same was the case at Isheri roundabout and at different bonfire points along the Isheri-Igando Road: It is pay or be harmed, with your vehicle smashed for good measure.”

Another Vanguard staff said: “The road, from Iyana-Ejigbo to Ikotun, was decorated by bonfires and gangs of boys. The difference between the rampaging hoodlums and those protecting their homes was the number that makes up the gangs and the extortion.

“The hoodlums were in groups of over 30 young men wielding sticks, machetes, bottles and, occasionally, guns.”

Vanguard’s Deputy Editor, who narrowly escaped been attacked said he spent over N10,000 before he got home.

He said: “The boys collected the tolls in the same demeanour with which a tax man faces a defaulter—without thanks. They equally dented cars with the weapons they wielded. Ironically, no single policeman was seen from Cele Express to Egan.”

No Salary Boys member arrested in Lagos

Similarly, attempts by hoodlums to further attack residents of some areas in Lagos were resisted by youths who armed themselves with sticks and cutlasses throughout Monday night till the early hours of Tuesday.

Vanguard gathered that while some arrests of Awawa boys and One Million Boys were made by a joint operation carried out by the Military and Police, another group of boys known as No Salary Boys around Ile-Iwe, Egbe road, started operation yesterday.

The ‘No Salary Boys’ were said to have stormed places like pipeline area of Ejigbo, Aiyelegun, Isheri Oshun, Bucknor but met stiff resistance of vigilante groups.

One of them was unlucky as he was arrested by residents of Mogaji Araromi community at about 3 am.

One of the residents, who gave his name as Chidoziem, said: “We did not sleep throughout the night. We had to keep watch, waiting for those bad boys. The police were also helpful because they came around our community in their patrol van.

But about 3 am, we heard the shout of thief and at the same time, saw someone running. We caught him and asked him where he was coming from. He told us he was operating alone. But those chasing him said other members of his gang fled in different directions. He said his mission was to steal food from the house but that he did not know there was a dog in the building. We handed him over to policemen at Area ‘M’ Idimu.”

Elsewhere in Igando and Isheri Oshun, residents said there was an attempt by the ‘No Salary Boys’ to invade their communities.

A resident of Igando, Dare, told Vanguard that “they had earlier written to inform us that they would be coming for us. They said we should keep a reasonable amount for them, or risk being killed. Some of us even kept some money for that purpose. Last night, there was uproar in the area, but no attack was made as the boys were repelled.”

Meanwhile, residents of Oke-Afa, Ejigbo have expressed fear over the presence of some strange boys who usually assembled at the entrance of the community every night.

One of them, who spoke with Vanguard on the condition of anonymity, said: “We don’t know who they are. They are youths. We, hereby, call on the police to help ascertain who they are before the unexpected occurs.”

Vanguard