There
was tension on Wednesday morning as suspected hoodlums who destroyed no
fewer than 40 cars in Mile 12 area of Lagos wanted to unleash more
mayhem.
Our correspondent, who was caught in the fray, observed that one of them threatened to kill a resident who was taking PUNCH Metro round to see the devastation.
Soon, he was joined by three other boys, who began advancing menacingly towards the resident and our correspondent.
One of them held a broken bottle in his right hand and pointed it at PUNCH Metro.
In the heat of the tension, this
reporter overheard him saying, “I will personally lead the squad that
will terminate you. We will butcher you. Did I damage your car? I don’t
live in this place. I stay at Ikorodu, so don’t think anyone can lay
hand on me.”
Our correspondent quickly hid in a shop, while the resident, who is a military officer, dared the gang.
As the two sides neared a face off, three other soldiers surfaced with a policeman.
The gang took to their heels as excited
residents came out of their houses to talk about the activities of the
hoodlums in the area.
A source told PUNCH Metro that the residents had suffered heavy losses due to several cult clashes in the area.
The warring groups were identified as Eiye boys and OPC members.
The source said, “The military man
taking you round had had his two cars damaged during one of the clashes
just few weeks back. He decided to bear the cost of repair after people
pleaded with him.
“But the one that happened on Monday
night and Tuesday morning was terrible. The Eiye cult members came to
Oniyanrin and Obanta streets on a reprisal and damaged over 40 vehicles.
We heard the OPC members started the fight at Idera in Ikorodu during a
party and the Eiye boys came here to retaliate.”
Our correspondent learnt that residents’
vehicles were damaged in the reprisal, while car batteries and other
valuables were stolen.
PUNCH Metro saw some of the damaged vehicles, while splinters of shattered windscreens also littered the roads on the two streets.
A car owner, Mrs Bimpe Sote, who lives
in Maidan community, said she did not know her car had been vandalised
until she sent her driver to do something for her.
She said, “Those of us in this community
usually park our vehicles on the sides of the roads. There is no access
road into the community. We only have a pedestrian bridge.
“I woke up on Tuesday morning and asked
my driver to get something for me. That was when I heard that my vehicle
had been vandalised. The hoodlums also took the battery away.”
Another resident, who equally lost his
car windscreens to the havoc, said while the destruction was on, he was
informed and he called the state’s emergency numbers.
“It was after the damage had been done
that they called back, apologising that the Rapid Response Squad could
not make it,” he added.
A commercial bus driver, Segun Oladimeji, said he had not been able to work because he could not raise money to repair his bus.
A man whose two cars were vandalised,
pleaded with the police authorities to give protection to the residents,
adding that they were helpless because those who usually perpetrated
the havoc were not from the area.
He said, “This madness has stop. We
cannot continue to live in fear in our own area. We are not the ones
fighting them, so why should they smash our vehicles and steal our
property?”
The matter was said to have been reported at the Ketu Police Station.
Our correspondent contacted the Police
Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Ngozi Braide, but her
telephone line rang out.
A text message sent to her had also yet to be replied as of the time of filing this report.
PUNCH
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