June 20, (THEWILL)- Residents of Iba community in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos are at the mercy of suspected armed robbers, kidnappers and ritual killers, JOY ONUORAH writes
The residents of Iba community in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State are currently living in fear of the activities of armed robbers, kidnappers and ritual killers who seem to have permanently laid siege to the community.
THEWILL investigation shows that these criminals frequently operate in the community, especially on the LASU-Isheri Road, at will and without fear of security agencies. Their presence has not only driven fear into the minds of the residents, but also disrupted the peace they have been enjoying for many years.
There have been complaints of kidnapping and armed robbery perpetrated by people believed to be non-residents of the community. Stories have been told about the discovery of human parts and skeletons under the Iba Bridge, as well as carjacking and robbery incidents in which the victims were dispossessed of cars, undisclosed amounts of cash, cell phones and other valuable property by criminals.
Some residents, who spoke with THEWILL, confessed that they could no longer afford to send their children on errands for fear of being exposed to attacks from the robbers, kidnappers and ritual killers operating around the community. The situation, they claim, has reached a point where even shopkeepers and owners of several small scale businesses scattered around the area are scared of keeping their shops open at night.
A resident, Mr Poopola Ajayi, described Iba Bridge as a hiding place for suspected ritual killers. He said there was suspicion that ritual killers gathered around the bridge at night to sell human parts to strange men who came in big cars. It is also believed that the human parts previously found under the bridge belonged to kidnap victims.
Confirming this, a young man, who claimed to have joined a youths in pursuit of suspected ritual killers lurking around the community, told THEWILL that one evening he and his friends had seen three men, who were disguised as lunatics, emerge from the bush with a bag dripping blood. Suspecting that the ‘mad’ men had done something terribly wrong, they chased them.
The young man said one of them was caught with the bag, which actually contained a freshly severed human head, and forced to make a confessional statement.
According to the criminal, the gang was waiting for the arrival of an Alhaji, to whom they wanted to sell the human head, when they were accosted by the young man and his friends. He was saved from certain death lynching by a team of policemen who arrived on the scene.
Also lamenting the situation, another resident, Mrs Kofoworaola Simisola, recounted how she was chased by suspected criminals on her way from the market few weeks ago. Fortunately she managed to escape with the help of some people who got off a commercial bus to come to her rescue.
Simisola also said other people in the community, children and adults alike, had complained of being chased around by strangers believed to be either robbers, kidnappers or ritual killers.
Most commercial bus drivers operating in the area, THEWILL learnt, have refused to stop around the bridge at night for fear of being attacked or robbed. Mr Chidi, a commercial bus driver, revealed that he had once fallen victim to a gang of armed robbers who robbed him and all his passengers near the bridge.
Most other commercial drivers had also suffered the same fate. As a result, they are not inclined to drop off or pick up passengers anywhere around the bridge, especially at night.
Asked why they did not report the incidents to the police, some of the residents said they suspected the police were either collaborating with the criminals or sponsoring their activities. Explaining further, one of the residents cited an incident in which some policemen prevented the lynching of a suspected killer, only to release him later, as proof of a possible cooperation between the operatives of the law enforcement agency and criminals operating in the area.
“The criminal was later seen chasing a young girl after that incident. It means that the police did nothing about the matter other than to release him,” the resident said.
As a result of the prevailing insecurity in the hitherto peaceful community, many Lagosians living in neighbouring towns and villages are afraid of visiting Iba at night. For those in need of accommodation, Iba is no longer the best place to rent a flat or build a new house.
In their quest for safety and protection from the activities of criminals, most residents have resorted to hiring private guards to secure their compounds at night. These guys are called the “vigilante” group. According to some of the residents, the outcome of that decision has been positive and productive.
Several phone calls made to the Chairman of Iba Local Council Development Area, Mr Adedayo Ramat Oseni, in the course of filing this story, were not answered. Also, text messages sent to him were not replied.
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