Hundreds of armed looters (hoodlums) have for several hours today been trying to overpower soldiers and police officers in order to loot the Computer village in Ikeja.
BusinessDay has confirmed heavy gunshots that had individuals scampering to safety, from multiple accounts by residents and business owners contacted.
“Right now they are still making an attempt (to overpower security agents) and considering the sensitivity of the business that we do, we sell very valuable commodities and they understand the liquidity of these products,” said Adeniyi Ojikutu, president, Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN) in a phone interview with BusinessDay.
Read also: ENDSARS: FCT residents in fear of more attacks as hoodlums overstretch police, others
While BusinessDay cannot ascertain the actual number of hoodlums making the attempts, Ojikutu, the CAPDAN President said they number up to 500. Earlier, three suspected hoodlums had come on motorcycles on a reconnaissance mission and shot in the air when they were discovered before retreating to remobilise.
Dubbed the largest market for computing and mobile devices, the market is equally described as the largest ICT accessory market in Africa.
The Computer Village in Ikeja is also within close proximity to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), a new BRT station, Jara Mall, the Lagos State Police Command, Lagos State High Court and of course both the local and international Airports.
A contingent of soldiers earlier reported by BusinessDay to be standing guard at the roundabout by Ikeja Under bridge have now been supported by police officers, and since morning trying to repel what eyewitnesses tell BusinessDay is an aggressive, desperate attempt to loot the Computer Village in Ikeja by supposed hoodlums.
According to a resident in the area, a group of hoodlums called ‘Benin Boys’ tried to invade computer village around 1am but were repelled by security forces. Those that have been making the attempts between morning and this afternoon according to this source were called ‘Agege boys’.
“The security were using megaphones to shout and warn all of us to stay inside,” said this resident.
Another source resident in Anifowoshe also confirmed the narrative that the so-called ‘Agege Boys’ have been making the attempt to loot the multi-billion naira market up till the moment of filing this report.
