Emmanuel Thomas, Lagos
April 4, 2015 – The Department of State Security Service (DSS) struck on the eve of the Presidential elections in Alausa, Lagos. The target was the Mechanic Village on ASSIBIFE Road, Alausa Lagos where over 2,000 mechanics had gathered to pass the night to enable them vote in the general election the next day since they all registered for the exercise in the area.
Little did they know that the worst nightmare was just around the corner. At 2:35 AM, a team from DSS, Shangisha stormed the enclave and terrorized the mechanics. Some were shot in the leg and in the hands while several vehicles and a jeep which was under repair was damaged with bullets.
They also arrested 45 mechanics which they took to Magodo for interrogation and were later released on production of Permanent Voter Card (PVC) to justify the fact that they pass the night to be able to vote the following day.
Recounting his ordeal in the hand of the SSS, Ismail Adegoke who was seriously battered by the SSS said the mechanic workshop is located on Hakeem Balogun, Alausa, Ikeja.
“We have been operating there for over 16 years. And because of the election, we stayed back on Friday after the close of work because we registered for the election at a polling unit closer to our workshop.
“Aside that, larger percent of us live in places far from Ikeja and in Mowe, Ogun State and would certainly not be able to make it to the area we all registered to vote.
“ But trouble started at about 2:35 am when some SSS officials stormed our workshop with over six hilux vehicles and shot sporadically at the vehicles with the aim to kill anyone sleeping in the vehicles. They shot their sophisticated guns for over 30 minutes.
“After the shooting, they arrested over 45 mechanics from the workshop and took them to the SSS office at Shangisha, Magodo axis of the state, ” Amidu said. He explained that it was the first time he is experiencing that kind of brutality in his life, saying the SSS office drilled them till dawn.
” Later in the morning when I and other mechanics arrived the SSS office, they claimed that we were in possession of arms. And that our plan was to truncate the polls. They destroyed over two vehicles owned by customers with their bullets. At about 8:00 am, they brought them back to the workshop to allow them vote.
“We don’t know the reason they came to vandalize the vehicles. And the most important thing was that the damaged vehicles don’t belong to me. They were brought to the workshop for repair. On that night, we have about 2, 000 artisans in the workshop, who waited behind to participate in the elections.
“During the shootout, many of us sustained injury while trying to avoid the gun shot.
Maruf Oyebade, Branch Chairman Motor Mechanic Association of Nigeria, Alausa Secretariat branch said he escaped the torture by the whiskers.
“ I heard that they were saying where is your chairman and when I heard that I took cover under a vehicle and heard them smashing the vehicles parked in the workshop . It was at this point that I was really frightened when they started shooting the vehicles parked.”
When our correspondent visited the SSS office in Shangisha area of Kosofe Local Government, the Officers declined comment on the issue , saying it is only the head of operation in the state that can speak on the matter.
