To a little extent, many Lagosians were prepared for the lockdown of their ever bustling city on the orders of the Federal Government as part of measures to contain and curtail further spread of the coronavirus—the health emergency that has brought global economy on its knees.
Knowing that it was going to be a long-drawn holiday, the few who have the means went a-shopping and stocked up their pantries. They even bought enough fuel or diesel to power their generators and also bought enough data for their gadgets because they have to work from home.
Kayode Solomon is one of the few Lagosians who made these preparations for both the first and the extended lockdown. But the events of the past few days have thrown a rude shock at Solomon, making him realise that he was not adequately prepared for the lockdown.
Solomon, who lives in one of the Lagos suburbs, is no longer suffering from only the pains of a forced holiday with all the attendant cost and discomfort arising from lack of electricity, and water in some cases, but also from the psychological trauma of being besieged by armed robbers.
Before the end of the first 14 days of lockdown, security concerns were already mounting in the affected three states, especially Lagos and Ogun where robbers, citing hunger, were attacking residents on daily basis.
When the Federal Government extended the lockdown by another two weeks, expectation was high that it would address the hunger and security concerns in the affected states. But those concerns did not mean anything to Mr. President.
This slip is reason many more Lagosians like Solomon can no longer enter their house and sleep because their communities have been overrun by armed robbers who operate as they like, unchallenged by security operatives, pushing the communities to resort to self-help.
Whether it is Alapere in Ketu, Surulere, Okota, Ejigbo, Igando, Isashi, Ijegun, etc, the story is the same of how residents no longer sleep at night as the robbers, especially the rampaging gang known as One Million Boys, has become not only vicious but also daring.
Sunday Izuchukwu is a 45-year old man, who lives in one of the suburbs of Lagos State called Ijegun. He runs a small bar and pepper soup joint around his area which enables him to earn a living and put food on his table.
Izuchukwu’s business was suddenly put on hold three weeks ago when the Federal Government announced the stay-at-home order to contain the spread of coronavirus outbreak otherwise known as COVID-19.
Though Izuchukwu was thankful to God that the development would enable him spend more time with his lovely wife and three children, he never knew that the worst was yet to come.
“On Tuesday, April 14, 2020 after the extension of the lockdown order, our streets received a letter from a robbery gang called ‘One Million Boys’ telling us to get ready for their coming that fateful Tuesday night. They warned that we should not involve police or any other security operative if we do not want them to be violent when they eventually came,” Izuchukwu told BDSUNDAY on a chat.
Similar letters have been written and sent to other locations. The gang circulated an alert letter to the residents of Okota in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of the state, threatening to come to rob and asking the residents to co-operate with them or have their hands cut off.
The short and sharp alert letter which BDSUNDAY sighted reads: “One Million Boys are coming to visit your area very soon. So, make everybody prepare. If you don’t comply, we will cut off your hand.”
On Wednesday night, the boys made good their threat, visited the area and robbed Green Field Estate located along the Ago Palace Way, towards Ago-Amuwo Link Bridge. That same night, they also visited Lila Street, off Ago Palace Way.
Thursday morning, another gang that calls itself 100 Million Boys of Nigeria Surulere circulated a letter to the tenants of a street in Ijeshatedo in Surulere, notifying them that they would be visiting the tenants (this week).
“We advise you comply and prepare for our coming. If you try to contact the police or any other security, (means) it will be bloody for everyone there. Bear in mind that we are dangerous and can take any risk of action,” the alert letter reads in part.
Izuchukwu recalled that after hearing of the letter to his street, night sleep left his eyes and the eyes of all the residents in his area because from that day till date, “we have not had night sleep as residents including men, youths and in some cases women formed a vigilance group to keep watch at night in preparation for the coming of the gang ‘One Million Boys’.
“Every night people congregate at the entrance of the street and we mount road blocks by putting up bonfire to scare the robbers away. People come out with different weapons such as machetes, knife, licensed guns for the ‘big men’, axe, hoe, hammer and other weapons to defend themselves from possible attackers.”
“Though they have not made it to our street since then, I got to hear that residents, local vigilantes and police repelled ‘One Million Boys’ attack on Kudeyibu Estate in the same Ijegun where I live,” he said.
According to him, a friend, who lives at Ijagemo, another area around Ijegun, mentioned that the boys came to attack people of Ijagemo and Ijegun one afternoon, and succeeded in robbing people of their belongings.
The worst, he said, was that they promised those people that they would come back soon and I heard that in some places where they succeeded, the boys even raped women after robbery.
BDSUNDAY check shows that the situation is same almost everywhere in and around Alimosho, Agege, Iyana-Ipaja, Ejigbo, Idimu, Isheri, Egbeda, Oke-Afa and even Surulere, Ijesha and its environs.
“These were boys recruited by politicians as political thugs during elections. After arming and using them during elections, they disengaged them without retrieving the weapons from them. That was how the Boko Haram started in the North East. The ones terrorising Lagos residents now were formerly known to be cult boys that were based in Ikorodu area but they have migrated to other communities in Lagos and have succeeded in building networks all around Lagos,” said Kenny Esohe, a resident of Ikotun area of Lagos.
Esohe, who disclosed that there seems to be no hope in sight for the sleepless night in his area, said residents take turns to keep watch at night. He said that some people keep watch between the hours of 22:00 (10pm) to 2:00 am before retiring to bed, while another group would take over and watch till day break.
“Before now, these bad boys used to earn their living through means like sports betting and collection of ‘Omonile money’ from commercial vehicles, market women and builders at construction sites but since the lockdown, their means of livelihood just like any other person, has been put on hold,” he stated.
Esohe expressed the optimism that if angry residents and law enforcement agencies such as Police succeed in killing a good number of them, the crime rate would reduce drastically.
“We made effort using our connection to contact Ikotun, Idimu and Ejigbo Police Stations but officers told us that there was nothing they could do to help us because there was not enough Police Van to use for the operation. We were told that each of the stations have two Police Vans. The most annoying one was that of Ikotun that said one of the vans needs nothing less than N800,000 to put it into good shape,” he said.
Expressing concern as to how these small boys could succeed in keeping old men awake outside on guard, just because of government’s ineptitude, he questioned how it was possible for every other person to see the boys’ activities in Lagos, yet the police have continued to be blind to such.
“Do you know that my area scattered on Wednesday because of those boys. We don’t sleep anymore in Abule-Egba area but thank God police came to our aid last (Wednesday) night and the police did vigilante with our men,” said one Yusuf Adejumo, a resident of Abule-Egba.
Adejumo told BDSUNDAY that his friend who lives in Gowon Estate in Egbeda said the residents had to use their connection to get officers to come and mount road blocks in the entrance of the estate using their vans.
“My friend said that it is costing a lot to keep those police officers guarding their estate. They pay them money and also mobilise the youth to join as vigilance group that secures the Estate. It is no longer easy to survive in Nigeria when citizen provide their water, electricity and now even security, then what is government doing for its citizens,” he queried.
Adejumo noted that it was time Sanwo-Olu looked into the security problem in the state because people have heard enough of coronavirus.
An Ikotun resident who gave his name as Benson Idowu expressed worry with the frequent armed robbery attacks in their community which, he said, was known for being safe and peaceful but has suddenly become risky.
“We know where all these things are coming from. Government says everybody should stay at home without any provision for the people. Hunger has taken over many homes and everybody is angry.
“Don’t forget that everybody is now idle without income. Okada riders are idle; Danfo drivers are also idle and all those who used to make their money from okada, keke and danfo operators are also idle; what do you expect? Idowu queried.
Cyril Emeh, a public health worker, commended the federal government for extending the lockdown by additional 14 days, but noted that it was not enough to extend the lockdown without addressing the social, economic and security concerns of the people in the affected states.
Both Orile Agege and some parts of Oshodi were seriously attacked Monday. “We have street gate but that could not help us when they came last night,” said Benjamin Eke who lives in Oshodi. “Our lives are in God’s hand and I know he will protect his people,” Eke added resignedly.
Even if the coronavirus goes away today or tomorrow, the impact will not go away any time soon. In a very significant way, the virus has altered the 2020 projections, economically and politically.
CHUKA UROKO, JOSHUA BASSEY, AMAKA ANAGOR-EWUZIE & INIOBONG IWOK
