Residents of Ikotun, a suburb of Lagos State under Alimosho Local Government Area have continued to live in palpable fear over the rising incessant broad-day light attacks and robberies by armed gangs on innocent citizens.
The robbery trends, which began sometimes in October 2023, have led to the loss of lives and properties within the vicinity.
Most of the attacks and robbery cases were recorded along surrounding streets along Governors Road: Lanre Bus Stop, Odo Eran, White House Bus Stop, etc.
Most of the targets targeted by the robbers include -POS operators, Okada riders, Boutique shop owners, Liquor stores, etc.
In the last week, most shops have been subjected to lock and key over anxiety of being attacked by robbers.
It was gathered that the heavily armed robbers, who come in numbers, usually carry out their operations between noon and about 4 p.m. on the aforementioned victims along the vicinity, even as their actions have transcended to innocent citizens going about their day-to-day activities around the community.
The latest attack, which occurred on Sunday, November 5, 2023, at Odo Eran area of Governor Road in Ikotun at about 12:30 p.m., saw a number of young men wielding guns, shooting sporadically into the air, and also moving from street to street in search of prey.
POS operators and several other market traders, including motorcycle operators, commuters, and worshippers, were attacked with valuable items carted away by the assailants.
A cross-section of residents who spoke on the ugly trends expressed frustration and anxiety over the increasing robbery cases within the community.
They lamented that the incessant robbery attacks on citizens have been alarming, calling on Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to deploy more security personnel to the area to curb daylight robbery attacks on citizens.
According to them, insecurity is fast becoming the norm within the affected communities of Ikotun, saying that police personnel have failed to respond swiftly to security issues.
Efforts to reach the Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, proved abortive, as the text message sent to his mobile was neither acknowledged nor replied to.
They decried the poor security architecture of Ikotun and its environs, maintaining that the situation, if not properly curtailed, would result to massive insecurity
An eyewitness account recorded that an elderly man whose motorbike was intercepted by the criminals lamented, ” My okada was collected from me in the broad day light and I am confused because this bike is under hire purchase.
“I am yet to complete the payment for the motorcycle. My life is doomed; I pray God help me out of this predicament,” he cried out.
A resident of the community withheld lamented that the issue of insecurity within the community is relatively high, calling on the police to up the ante to curb the rising trends of robbery within Governor Road and the surrounding environment.