There was a time the Lagos State Government could boast that armed robbery was no more an issue in Lagos, and residents took that wholeheartedly and went about their daily businesses without fear.
But those times seem gone, as armed bandits with all manner of guises have taken over some areas in Lagos; Mile 2 to be specific.
The prayer of many residents of this area is that they are not found in a traffic hold-up in Mile 2, especially on roads with craters or potholes.
Children and unemployed youths are the ones mostly involved in the criminal acts, an indication that the state government’s attempts to address the involvement of children of school age in crimes through the establishment of rehabilitation centres have yielded little result.
The presence of street lights is a deliberate move by the state government to address the problem of crime at night. But the armed bandits have blatantly defied the street lights as they now operate even in broad daylight.
Barely a week ago, two armed robbers shot a businessman on his legs before snatching N4million from him at Mile 2. The man had reportedly cashed a cheque in a bank and was going to Alaba International Market where he wanted to buy some goods for sale when the incident occurred.
An eyewitness who identified himself as Raheem said the victim explained that the two bandits operating on a motorcycle probably trailed him from the bank.
Raheem said immediately the businessman alighted from a mini-bus and was trying to hike a motorcycle, the hoodlums stopped before him and the one on the passenger seat alighted, shot the victim on the legs, snatched the cash and rode off. He said the victim was rushed to the hospital by passers-by, including a policeman.
Reports had it that the robber shot the victim with one bullet in each leg in broad daylight as people scampered for safety as the robbery unfolded, and the hoodlums escaped on a motorcycle towards the Oshodi axis of Oshodi-Apapa expressway.
Also, a few weeks ago, some robbers took advantage of the traffic situation to rob road users plying the Mile 2 axis.
Two female staff of MTN working at the office in Apapa were robbed. One of the victims who was also robbed last week was stabbed in the eye with a knife after the robbers broke the car window.
According to a passerby who witnessed the incident, the robbers operated in a dare devil manner.
Reports by victims of these armed robbers claimed they now disguise as beggars to rob their victims of valuables.
They usually pretend to be beggars and target mostly lone occupants of posh cars and dispossess them of their valuable items such as laptops, phones and money.
The hoodlums, it was gathered, always arm themselves with dangerous weapons such as knives and shotguns (hidden under their clothing) and usually start their operations between 5pm and 9pm, capitalising on the daily traffic gridlock.
It was also learnt that some of them had perfected the art of developing a deformity to deceive their victims and in the process rob them.
Areas where their activities are predominant in the metropolis are Mile Two Bridge, Coconut and Apapa, all on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.
According to Mr Lucky Uduikhue, a managing director of an information and communication technology firm, who recounted his ordeal at the hands of the beggars turned armed robbers, their targets are lone occupants in cars.
Uduikhue said he was so unfortunate to have been robbed three times in the area.
He said this had happened to many motorists on that route, stressing that the usual demand of the robbers at gunpoint was, “I need N5, 000. If you respect yourself, bring the money. They will point gun at you.”
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He said anyone who failed to cooperate with them would have his car vandalised and some of the hoodlums might physically attack the victim if they failed to cooperate with them.
“For many months now, motorists who drive through Mile 2 lose valuable items to robbers. As from 5pm, they have become kings of the road. Funny enough, they pretend as people begging for money, but they end up robbing motorists of their valuables.
“If one fails to give them money, they would break one’s side window and take whatever they lay their hands on and flee.
“This is a daily occurrence starting from Otor Wharf to Mile 2 Bridge up to Mile 2/Oshodi junction. Their target is always on big money, phones and laptops and they focus on big cars and vehicles whose drivers are alone. I have been a victim several times.
“I have reported several times to the policemen on duty at the Mile 2 Bridge and have also called 112 police emergency number for the same complaint with both the police and the receiver of the police emergency number promising to take urgent action, yet nothing seems to have been done as the hoodlums are still operating unhindered,” he said.
Also, another motorist, Jonah Okorie, was a victim of the robbers. Okorie said that he was attacked in a similar manner to Uduikhue early this year.
He said he was outraged that when he was being robbed, some policemen were busy arresting ‘okada’ riders without minding what was happening to him.
Another motorist, who gave her name as Blessing, said she was dispossessed of her laptop, BlackBerry and other valuables.
“I can never forget that fateful day. I was going to Apapa. At Mile 2, there was a traffic jam. One man, dressed like a beggar came and begged me for money.
“I told him I did not have. I thought he understood me. Before I could move further, he brought a hammer and hit my side door. In the process, he made away with my laptops and other valuables. In fact, my entire day was disorganised because I lost a lot of data with the laptop.”
The recent robbery incidents in the area have brought to the fore the silent pains of some residents who have been faced with the security challenges lately.
Although many would agree that the relative peace of the state had been disrupted by the incidents, some of the residents said that they had endured terrifying experiences with armed robbers in the area and on the highways for a while.
“It only shows that the robbers have grown in confidence,” said Ariyike Oluyori, who was a victim of an armed robbery incident in the area, three weeks ago.
In the ordeal that lasted about an hour, the victim said he lost some cash and gadgets to the knife and gun wielding robbery gang.
Such has, however, been the lot of some residents of Mile 2 with many now living in fear of being killed, robbed, assaulted or raped in their own homes.
Investigations also revealed that many of the car thefts have been occurring in the night when most people return from work.
A recent victim, who did not want his name published, noted that many victims are afraid to share their experience with anybody, particularly with the press and the police.
Victims, according to him, were scared to have their faces or names on TV or in print, lest they get another visit from their assailants.
“It’s also a problem when the police are not in a position to help you or respond to where robbers are within 20 minutes; you cut your losses and move on,” he added.
According to some residents, enough attention had not been paid to the “kind of people that the construction efforts in the area are drawing” to the estates and roads, such as bricklayers, welders, among others.
According to Mr Taiwo Alaja, checking the activities of such people, some of who squat in all kinds of places within the area, could close some of the existing security loopholes.
He added that the residents’ association he belonged to was already considering controlling the influx of people into the estate.
“This will control and monitor new construction and reconstruction, to know the labourers to work on a site and to monitor them accordingly. If their work extends beyond six months, the badges will have to be renewed.”
However while reacting to the recent spate of armed robbery, spokesperson for Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, said that the police had not received such complaints.
“We are not aware of that. Did the victims actually report to the police? All the same, the information is noted,” she said.