By Michael Olatunji
Lagos and Ogun State communities were laid prostrate yesterday, as residents of various communities in response to the incessant raiding of robbers and cult boys took to the streets and formed vigilance bands to protect their homes against the marauders.
Communities such as Agege, Ikeja, Ogba, Pen Cinema, Abule Egba, Elliot, Ajuwon, Iju, Ishaga, Akute, and environs were like a war zone yesterday.
The streets were totally deserted as early as 9pm, as gangs of the Oodua Peoples Congress, and gathered used tyres they set alight for bonfires.
Since last Thursday, several communities in the two states have been at the mercy of gangs of young boys who storm the communities in large number robbing the people. They allegedly go from street to street and atimes carry out their nefarious activities till day break.
A resident Frank Mbong who lives in Ajuwon village, an Ogun State community said they youths as well as young adults were all out to prevent being caught off guard by dare devil robbers, who were going from street to street raiding homes and raiding defenceless women and girls.
He said the residents trooped out massively on Sunday night especially because the robbers had he effrontery to formally write one of the streets to await their imminent storming of their neighbourhood.
“We received with shock a posting on our general WhatsApp platform yesterday by our chairman that the robbers had written to a street next to our informing them of their coming. Hearing that we decided no more sleeping for any of us, A child that says his mum should not sleep at night should also be ready to keep vigil.”
Many residents stormed the streets on Sunday night, setting bonfire at road junctions, in apparent preparedness and tp forewarn the evil doers that they would not be caught napping.
Meanwhile the Lagos State Police Command has assured that its men are already stationed at all the black spots in the state and that they evil doers would soon be rounded up.
The Police Command warned the people to stop the bonfires as it does more damage to the roads, even as it urged everyone to stay calm and cooperate with the police as they do their work of protecting the lives and property of the people.