Residents of Igbo-Ilogbo, Ayobo, Alimosho Local Government Area (LGA) of Lagos, have cried to the authorities, particularly the police and the Lagos State government, to rescue them from the hands of hoodlums and miscreants threatening their lives.
It was gathered that residents woke up yesterday (Thursday) morning to a rude shock as hoodlums numbering over 100 allegedly stormed the area in commando style, to harass them. The hooligans, brandishing weapons, were said to have gone ahead to lock up the people’s houses.
The action created panic and disruption of economic activities, which lasted many hours. The residents said the peace of the community was stolen and replaced with anxiety. They said they were yet to fathom why their attackers stormed their community.
It was learnt that the expanse of land where the houses are situated was duly acquired by the residents from Radio Communication Nigeria (RCN) Limited, a company owned the late MKO Abiola.
According to the residents, there have been threats and rumours flying around that some persons were about forcefully taking possession of the area, which the residents claimed to have acquired legally many years ago.
“When they came this morning, it was like a war. Virtually all of them were fierce-looking and probably high on some substances. All the efforts we made to calm them were rebuffed. The hoodlums did not care to listen to us but went ahead to lock our houses and molest us. It was obvious that they were acting under the instruction of their paymasters. This is not an animal kingdom where people could wake up one morning and take the law into their own hands,” one of the landlords lamented.
In a petition written by Olomola-Owa and Co., on behalf of RCN, addressed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and copied to the Area Commander (Area P), the Divisional Police Officer, Ayobo Police Station, the lawyerinsisted that the expanse of land rightfully belonged to his client.
“We hereby solicit for police intervention to forestall loss of lives and property as well as prevent total breakdown of law and order. The board, management and members of our client’s company are law-abiding citizens who do not want the members of Igbo-Ilogbo community to match force with these hoodlums.”