Lagos and the rising insecurity of lives and property

For several months now many communities bordering Lagos, Nigeriaís economic nerve centre, have not known peace as rising insecurity stirs up fears in residents, writes JOSHUA BASSEY.

At the peak of the kidnapping conundrum that pervaded the southeast and south-south regions some five years ago, the south-west, to a large extent was seen as a ‘refuge’ by many.

Conscious of the danger that lurked around, not a few relatively comfortable Nigerians residing in the west would contemplate a journey across the Niger which safety they could not guarantee. Lagos was the place to stay and celebrate. 

The once comparatively safe Lagos is now a theatre of violence, kidnappings and wanton killings. 

The wave of insecurity is spreading like wild fire stoking fears in every citizen. Not even the revered traditional institution is spared. Ikorodu, the ancient town once known for its quietude nature, has been desecrated and transformed into a criminal haven. From money ritual related crimes and pipeline vandalism, which often made the news headlines, the criminals have gone berserk in Ikorodu. 

Their new love is senseless slaughtering and kidnapping of the citizens. Recently, they were at Igbo-Olomo, Elepete and Logbologbo, some riverine communities bordering Ikorodu, and by the time they left, scores of citizens lay dead; slaughtered like chicken. The police in the state have been equipped with gunboats, helicopters, hundreds of patrol vans and bikes by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. But they are yet to tell the public how many arrests  have been made in connection with the heinous crime.

Since the massacre last month, the communities have known no joy. Their perplexity grew recently when the killers suspected to be militants purportedly wrote a letter announcing their intention to revisit the communities. As expected, naturally, many have fled their homes to seek refuge elsewhere. But it is not only the fact that they have deserted their homes that is hurting, their means of livelihood in an already battered economy, have been jeopardised as well.

Despite the deployment of security personnel to the communities, some residents still do not feel safe enough to stay, while those courageous enough to hang around live in palpable fear.

“Igbo-Olomu and Elepete are now deserted; I have taken my wife and my children to one of my relatives to stay with. There is fear everywhere in the community. The suspected militants have resorted to breaking into the houses of the residents who had relocated and making away with their household property. They cut through the burglary proofs and enter into houses whose occupants have fled,” said Razaq, a resident of Elepete phase 1.

Mufutau, another resident alleged that the criminals have been kidnapping members of the community and demanding ransom from their families. “They kidnap people on a daily basis and demand for ransom. One of the victims was released on Monday July 13 after he spent seven days with these suspects in the creek,” Mufutau said.

He, however, confirmed the presence of security personnel in the area, but strongly advocated the need for regular patrol of the waterways through which the criminals usually access their communities.

“We have two police check points from Igbo-Olomu to Logbogbo. But when it is seven 7:00pm we won’t see them again. When we complain about the attacks to the police, they will tell us that they were asked to mount the check points and not run after the suspected militants into the creek,” lamented Mufutau.

As the dust was settling from the Ikorodu attack, a high profile kidnapping occurred in Iba, a bustling settlement in Ojo Local Government of the state. Yushau Oseni, the traditional ruler (Oba) of Iba town was whisked away unchallenged.

His abductors reportedly arrived at the monarch’s palace at about 8:00pm on Saturday, July 2. They shot sporadically in an exciting glee; killed a guard in the process; walked into the room; removed their victim like a commodity and bundled him into their waiting boat; and then escaped through the water route.

“We were in the bedroom when we heard the gunshots and the children in the sitting room shouting. We came out in order to caution the children. But we met the gunmen at the entrance of the parlour. They asked him if he was the monarch and he answered in the affirmative. Immediately, they left the children alone and took him. I tried preventing his kidnap, but one of the gunmen hit me in the neck and I fell,” Nofisat, the monarch’s wife narrated. 

The kidnappers have reportedly contacted the family of the 73-year-old man and placed a ransom of N500 million on him. 

While the state security operatives voyaged in confusion over how some daredevil kidnappers could transgress their intelligence network to abduct a first class oba in a state where government has invested over N6 billion towards the provision of safety security within one year, the criminals struck again in Ikorodu on Sunday July 24. 

This time, they went for Olukayode Bajomo- a pastor serving with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Isawo, Ikorodu. The criminals, who disguised as worshippers to gain entrance into the church located at Santos bus stop at about 7:00am, abducted Bajomo and placed a N100 million ransom on him. 

On July 17, Sunday before the RCCG pastor was kidnapped, the suspected criminals were at Oko-Iya Olosa, also in Ikorodu, where they allegedly shot a man identified as Kamoru, and a hairdresser, for resisting abduction. Both victims were said to have later died. 

They were said to have stormed the community at about 11:00pm and operated for a couple of hours before escaping via the waterways in a waiting boat with one of their victims identified simply as ‘Chicago’   

On Monday, July 11, suspected gunmen visited a home in Isawo, and abducted 13-year-old twin brothers when the plot to abduct their father failed. 

“The father was the target of the hoodlums because he worked at a big company in Somolu area of Lagos. But since he was not at home, they abducted his 13-year-old twins. They were, however, released on Wednesday, July 13 after the man paid N20,000,” a resident of the area said. 

Dolapo Badmos, a superintendent of police and spokesperson of the Lagos State police confirmed the deployment of personnel from the police mobile unit to secure the affected areas. She also confirmed increased patrol of the waterways to curb the killings, pleading with the general public to cooperate with the police and other security agencies to track the criminals. 

Fatai Owoseni, the commissioner of police, Lagos command, at an emergency meeting convened by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode following the spate of kidnappings, admitted to the security concerns in the state, adding that efforts were being made to rescue all the kidnap victims. 

 “What we want to assure the people is that we are making efforts not just to rescue the monarch but also other victims of kidnapping and bring the criminals to justice. 

Owoseni attributed the rising cases of kidnapping in the state to pipeline vandals who, according to him, no longer vandalise the pipelines because of the security now provided, but resorted to soft targets of kidnapping innocent citizens.

“They should divert their energy into productive use. The government has opened up a lot of opportunities for people that want to access soft loans for small-scale businesses and industries. Let them have a change of mind, drop their weapons, access the funds that government at the state and federal level have created to start small businesses.” 

Owoseni, however, admitted that the development was of concern to everybody and requires joint effort. 

In the words of the police commissioner, “We are all bothered; the government is bothered; all the law enforcement institutions in the state are bothered.” And may we re-echo to the police chief that Lagosians are indeed bothered.

JOSHUA BASSEY