Motorists and other commuters plying the Lagos-Badagry road may be in for very difficult and harrowing times following the perennial gridlock occasioned by the narrow portion of the road abandoned by the Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) towards the Volkswagen of Nigeria (VoN) end of the road.
There is no noticeable indication of any ongoing or substantially completed rail project along the corridor between the Iganmu, Mile 2 not to mention from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, apart from a very short distance laying of rail tracks between Suru -Alaba and Mile 2, apparently to enable the CCECC move their equipment.
The area between the Military Cantonment Ojo and Volkswagen and remains a black spot for criminals, with Ilaje bus stop and its environment as the major spot where windscreens of private cars are smashed without any challenge from the police or any other relevant authority.
Last Monday, the bandits walking in groups of three, four and five unleased terror on private vehicle drivers by smashing their windshields at the slightest resistance or reaction from the victims some of whom are left with various degrees of injuries after every attack that often happens at minutes interval.
According to Felix Aolighua, ”I live at Agbara Estate and was returning from work between 8 pm and 9 pm and as usual I found myself inside the traffic. Before I knew what was happening, I heard a knock on my side and the passenger’s side with a dreadful voice asking me to roll my driver’s door glasses down. Before I could put my hand inside my pocket to give them money, they smashed my glasses and took away my mobile phones and other valuables”.
This is just one out of many cases of robbery attacks that have become recurring decimal between Agric bus stop and Ilaje bus stop being the blind spot and Volkswagen of Nigeria assembly plant.
Located very close to the Ilaje bus spot where innocent motorists are being dispossessed of their valuables while on traffic is the largest military barracks in West Africa while the Onireke and Ojo Police stations are located within trekking distances.
While the robbery has become a daily affair, men of the Nigerian police occupy themselves with the checking of motorists driving against traffic, apparently to avoid being caught in the web of the daily robbery activities of the miscreants.
MIKE OCHONMA
