By Olakunle Agboola – After days of lockdown with less or no palliative measures to support the poor citizens, there has been an increase in criminal activities with an outcry for life and property most especially in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja, the capital territory.
Concerned citizen has taken to their social media page with all sorts of recorded videos alerting Nigerians and calling on the government, and law enforcement agents to come to their aid to protect both life and properties.
Tomiwa Oni, a social commentator said, he is not surprised with the sudden increase in crime and robbery attack, most especially in Lagos and Ogun State.
“We have serious issues to deal with in this part of the world. Also, it will take a fine-tune energy to have a proactive government who will cater for the citizens. You can’t keep poor and hungry people at home with no or less palliative measures to support them for two weeks and expect them not to steal. How will they survive? It is tactlessness from the path of the government not knowing that there are so many people whose daily income comes from going out every day and there must be adequate plans for them to have constant supply of food at least for two weeks of keeping them at home.
Do you know the billions of Naira that were given to the federal government to fight Covid-19? We were following the figures and how is the money spent? Did it get to the poor as palliative succor to covid-19 lockdown? Absolutely no! It was all lies that in a week, the government has spent billions of Naira disbursing money to Nigerians. They just come to inflate figures thinking we are all fools.”
There is an outcry from different quarters of Lagos most especially Agege, Egbeda, Abule Egba, Alagbado Orile, Iyana-Ipaja, Okokomaiko, Maza-Maza, Ijora Badia, Ajegunle, Mile2 bus stop, Second Rainbow, Ikeja under bridge, Obalende, Lekki-Epe expressway, Ikorodu, Mile 12, Ketu- Alapere, Ikotun, Dopemu, Ogba etc. for government and law enforcement agents to come to their rescue, as there is an increase in criminal activities.
Tokunbo Ige, an entrepreneur living in Agege said, the lockdown is getting out of hands because people most especially the “area boys” and hoodlums whose daily bread is on the street, are hungry and they are making life awful due to incessant robbery attack in the area.
“We hardly sleep in Agege because we have turned to our own security ensuring we protect life and secure our properties. Lagos is a commercial city with a thick population which I think government should have put a lot of palliatives measures in place for the underprivileged and street boys before thinking of total lockdown. And now that we have more weeks to stay at home, I wonder if this won’t lead to insubordinations because people are hungry and tired”
Tunde Adeoye witnessed a broad day robbery on Lagos/Ibadan express way last week. This was recorded with his phone which showed a driver, who was raided when he had flat tyre on the express on his way to Mile 2, with his car loaded with fruits and yam.
“Robbery is not new in Lagos; the recent rise is nothing but as a result of covid-19 lockdown due to rise in hunger. A car loaded with fruits and yam had a flat tyre in the middle of the express road, close to old toll gate. He managed to park by the roadside leaving the express lane to change his tyre. He alighted from his car and not quite long, some mobsters came to the driver asking him to give them fruits and yam. The driver explained to them, that he is just a driver and he has been paid to offload to the owner who is waiting for him in Mile 2.
The hoodlums told the driver that they are hungry and one after the other, they started picking yams and fruits. The driver tried to stop them but was beating seriously. More muggers across the road came to the scene and took advantage of the situation and not quite long, the car was empty. He later fixed his tyre, while sympathetic Nigerians came to his aid to console him. Police later came to the scene, but the deed has already been done”.
Robbery and criminal activities are also on the rise in Ogun State, which is making life unbearable for the citizens, who have now become their own security. Mayowa Oni, a final year student of Obafemi Awolowo University narrated his recent experience of hoodlums and thieves who sent a voice alert to them in Ifo community that they will be coming to rob as a result of covid-19 lockdown and calling police will be a waste of time.
“It was like a joke when we received a voice note last week that a set of hoodlums will be coming to rob and calling police will be a waste of time. We told the police, while the community kept a vigil. We were surprised that the police did not show up and if not for the youths who faced those criminals with cutlass and all sorts of ‘local charms’, we could have been seriously robbed and injured.”
A resident of Alagbole said that two thieves invaded some homes last week and ordered the occupants to cook rice and stew for them. He further said that they held occupants of the homes hostage until the food was ready and they ate and left after spending over two hours with their victims.
The lockdown has increased the numbers of petty thieves, stealing soup pots, food condiments and other items at night in densely populated area of Ogun and Lagos State as reported by concerned citizen. People are hungry and now that the lockdown has been extended for another two weeks, government will have to be proactive ensuring the situation at hand is well managed. There must be constant food supply and palliative materials to go round the poor citizens. Also, security of life and property should not be taken with levity hands, deploying police and law enforcement agents to maintain law and order.
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