By Daud Olatunji

ABEOKUTA—Residents of Journalist Estate, Arepo, in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have cried out over the stray bullets that had shattered roofs and car windscreens in the estate. The residents, under the aegis of Journalist Estate Residents Development Association Phase 2, Arepo, had on Monday petitioned the Department of State Services, DSS, Abeokuta, over the development.

The Chairman of the association, Eniola Bello, Managing Director of THISDAY newspapers, in the petition, entitled SOS: Flying High Calibre Bullets in Our Estate, dated March 16, said that at 10am on Friday, March 13, a bullet from high calibre rifle, suspected to be an AK-47, pierced through the roofing of his house, shattering the plaster of Paris decoration and landed in his bedroom.

He added that on Sunday, March 15, a similar type of bullet pierced through a car, Honda CR-V, with number plate FKJ 364 AT, belonging to one Ms Rakiya Suberu, inside her compound, two houses away from his own. Bello said the residents had reported the incidents to the Divisional Police Headquarters, Ibafo, and that they decided to petition DSS because of the frequency with which bullets were landing in their bedrooms and compounds.

“Sometimes in September 2014, another resident of the estate, Ms. Gbemi Egunjobi, found a similar bullet pierce through the building into her bedroom at about 10pm, while she was preparing to go to bed. “Also last year, one other resident got the windscreen of his car shattered where it was parked in his compound from a similar bullet. “We have been lucky that nobody has been injured or killed. We, however, do not want to continue riding on the wings of luck. It is for this reason we have decided to run to you to save our souls.”