Day robbers’ lockdown Ogun communities

Taiwo Jimoh

Residents of Adesan Community in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, on April 13, trooped out en-mass, armed with cudgels to confront robbers who had invaded some streets in the community.

A first time comer to Adesan Community would think there a war was going due to the manner both the aged and young came out to confront their perceived enemies.

After news about the robbers filtered into town, every gated street locked their gates, hoping to prevent the robbers, otherwise known as the one millions from entering their streets.

Some of the streets whose gate had been under lock and key since then are Atala, Madam Poultry,  Peace Avenue, Bolatito, Ali-Balogun, Mukadam, Adeoye, Sokeye, Opeolu, Community, Daleko, Sarumi,  Oke-Safari, Igbobi, Orisunbare and Latona.

The robbery suspects stormed Latona Street at about 10a.m. on that fateful Monday after robbing some of the residents of their money, phones and other valuables.

One of the victims, Mr James Abiodun, explained that the robbers were between ages 19 and 20, comprising boys and girls.

The robbers had been operating for two hours when they sighted some members of the local vigilante and youth, heading towards them. They scampered.

Abiodun said: “I was told the robbers escaped through Orisunbare Street. They ran through ‘Madam Poultry’ to another village called Ogunrun and then disappeared with their loots. It was like war on that fateful day. Everybody came out from other streets to man their areas and to prevent the criminals from gaining access. Some youth chased them with vehicles and motorcycles. Since 2010 that I had been living in Mowe, I have not witnessed such robbery operation before. Some of them were robbing inside while others were outside, on motorcycles. Immediately they are through, they would mount their motorcycles and escape. Those that came to our street came in five motorcycles.”

Abiodun further said: “The streets were not the only place robberies took place in Mowe. We had witnessed burglary before, but what we saw on that day was broad day light robbery. I don't know where those boys and girls got their confidence from.”

Another resident, who does not want her name mentioned, said: “We were just finishing our breakfast when the robbers arrived. It was like a movie unfolding before our eyes. The robbers wore masks and came in motorcycles. How they gained entry into our house was still a mystery to us. Immediately they entered, we were asked to lie face-down. They asked for money and phones. They collected the little money we had with us. We relied on God to survive and provide for our needs. We have nowhere to go for help except God Almighty. When I heard about the robbery in Lagos, I never envisaged they would come to Ogun State. The Police in Mowe and the vigilante groups are doing their best to prevent break down of law and orders, but there’s little they could do. The state government should come to our rescue because the stimulus package they claimed they were giving people didn't get to us. I don't think some of us can afford to stay indoors any further because of insecurity.”

It was observed that every part of Mowe Community is now littered with bonfires, which were made by some residents complementing the vigilante groups’ efforts to combat the One Million Boys terrorising the community.

Meanwhile, Oke-Iran and Abaren Community were also not left out of the robbery incident that ravaged Lagos State. Mr Adedeji Solarin, a resident of Oke-Iran, said that the robbers who stormed their street at about 2am, on April 12, took them by surprise.

Solarin said that everybody in the community had gone to bed when suddenly they heard a cry from one Mr Akintomiwa’s house.

He said: “Suddenly, everybody woke up, including women and youth. We positioned ourselves in strategic locations, with the hope of arresting the robbers. But they later escaped. The robbers, after gaining access into his house, threatened to kill him if he didn't cooperate with them. They succeeded in collecting their phones, N100, 000 and jewellery. They also stole foodstuffs. Three days after the robbery, the robbers returned and moved from house to house, robbing residents of foodstuffs. They didn't come through the place that came through on the first day because we were fully prepared for them."

Solarin further said: "When the robbers noticed that we were fully prepared for them, they ran away from our community and went to Mace Estate, where they robbed residents of money, phones and foodstuffs. Robbers operated the whole day nonstop and residents of the estate couldn’t sleep. All residents had to become vigilante members, setting bonfires in different parts of the community to illuminate the darkness.”

Our correspondent also gathered that two weeks after attacking Oke-Iran and Mace Estate, the robbers went to Coca-Cola Estate to rob residents.

A resident of the area, who doesn't want her name in print, explained that on Tuesday last week, at about 12a.m. some boys between ages 18 and 20, also invaded their estates.

The robbers, who stormed the estates were shouting, “We are not here to harm anyone, we’re here to collect money and foodstuffs from residents.”

The woman continued: “We used to think we were safe in our estate, which was why we didn’t bother to engage the services of local vigilante group. But after our encounter with the robbers, we have changed decided to employ security guards. We can only thank God that nobody was killed or injured. Since then, some of the youth and elders in the estate and landlords have been camping out to join hands us to fight the hoodlums. To our surprise, we didn't see the robbers anymore; they have also moved their operation to Abaren where they continue to operate."

The robbers, while in Abaren, moved from house to house, robbing residents of their valuables.

A carpenter at Abaren, Mr. Mutfau Ashafa, said that the Police arrived only after the robbers had left. 

Ashafa said: “We’re appealing to the state government to provide a police post for Adesan Community. This is because it used to take time before policemen from Mowe Police Station, which is at the bus stop, to come to our rescue. The Policemen tells us that they lack operational vehicles. The only foodstuff and money we had at home were taken by the robbers. We seriously need police post at Adesan, because Adesan is a transit to other neighbouring communities in Mowe. Sometimes in the afternoon, when we are asleep in our houses, we worry about the hoodlums attacking us. The Ogun State Police Command and state government should wake up and emulate what the Lagos State government and police are doing in terms of security. We’re not secured in Ogun State."

A senior police officer, who spoke with our Correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said there was no way the hoodlums could ever overran the whole state.

He appealed to residents of the affected areas to cooperate with the police, because it was through their support that Police would be able to flush out the hoodlums.

The robbers also operated at Ikugbonmire Street, along Ofada Road, where a woman was raped. The robbers, it was further learnt, robbed residents of the valuables and raped wives of men who allegedly didn’t cooperate with them.

A resident of Ikugbonmire Street, Mrs Ajala Ojo, recollecting the day like it was yesterday, said their community on that day was like a war zone.

She said: “There had been severe attacks from armed robbers. I learnt it was after the robbers left Adesan that they come to our area on Monday. The robbers moved from house to house, robbing people. They were armed with dangerous weapons. To my surprise, they asked us for food and money. If you refuse to give them what they want, they would descend on your wife. We cannot sleep with our eyes closed because of the robberies. Government should come to our rescue. It is the little money we had at home, which we were managing that the robbers collected from us. I don't know how government want us to survive in this lockdown.”

Another resident, Pastor Kenny, said that the robbers operated in broad day light without any challenge.

Kenny said: “We couldn’t come out to buy something in the neighbourhood for fear of being attacked by the robbers. I was also told they operated at Adesand and Ofada areas. The Ogun State government and Police are not proactive like Lagos State. We had to start guarding our community if we hope to combat them. We cannot fold our arms and allow them to operate at will. We have to challenge them because that's what they did in Lagos. It works for them. It is also going to work for us in Ogun. We’re tired of the robberies. We cannot walk freely in the streets without fear of being attacked. We want peace in Mowe and its environs.”

Residents of Ogunrun community, Phase 3, on Sunday, arrested a suspected robber with a locally made gun. The arrest was made at about 5am.

One of the residents, simply identified as Adebayo, said he and other members of his community were on patrol when they suddenly sighted the suspect and later caught him. They recovered a locally made gun from him. They subjected him to series of questions, but he couldn’t give any reasonable explanation on why he was in the community and what he was doing with the gun.

Adebayo said: “When we received information about robbers coming to our community, we mobilised ourselves to protect our community. It was during the patrol of area, at about 5a.m, that we came across the suspect. We handed him over to Mowe Police Station because we didn’t want to take laws into our hands. When we got to the police station, he said he was returning from the filling station where he works. We left him with the police to continue with their patrol. We have been depriving ourselves of sleep because of insecurity. Even our wives are not sleeping; they used to join us in keeping watch over the community at night.”

The Chairman, Atala Community Development Association, Alhaji Ibrahim Adidas, said: “We have been a security threat in Mowe as a result of the stay at home order by the federal government. This made many of us to forfeit sleep just to secure our community. Once its 9pm, we come out and only return to our houses by 5am.  We are doing it to complement efforts of our vigilante groups. We have not been having such robbery cases like this before. On Monday last week, we heard that some robbers invaded Latona Street and other communities. We mobilised our youth and came fully armed. We locked our gate to prevent anyone from passing through our estate even if they were coming with vehicles or motorcycles. Unfortunately, they didn't come through our street. The presence of the robbers created serious tension in the community on that fateful day.”

The head of Ogun State Community Social Orientation and Safety Corp Nigeria Vigilante Corp, Mr Michael Olayiwola, said: “We’re fully prepared for the robbers who are threatening the peace of Mowe Community. Recently, someone sent a message to me, that robbers wrote to them, that they were coming to rob Daleko, Ogunrun and Mowe as a whole. I told the person not to panic that we were fully prepared for the robbers. I was still at home one fateful day, when my boys called me that I should come to Daluwon Community that robbers have taken over everywhere. When I got there, I found the Baale of the area and residents armed with cutlass, axes and other dangerous weapons to fight the robbers. It was then I took the text message sent me seriously.  Two weeks ago, we also lost two of our men to robbers at Shimawa area; one was gruesomely murdered by the robbers, but we are not going to relent in our efforts to get rid of the robbers, especially with the cooperation of the policemen."