RESIDENTS FLEE AS AREA BOYS GO ON RAMPAGE IN LAGOS ISLAND

LAGOS ISLAND, Nigeria – Fear has griped residents of Lagos Island, with many fleeing in drove as ‘Area boys’ visit mayhem on residents, robbing, maiming and harassing many while security operatives look the other way.

The miscreants who were of different groups from different Streets on the Island were operating from Okesuna, Salu Court, Lafiaji, Patey, Oshodi, Tokunbo, Okepopo, Onola, Evans, Olushi and parts of Campus areas.

Also, some residents in the areas have started packing out their belongings for fear of been victims of the notorious boys who invades buildings, attack residents, robbing them of valuables.

According to source, the area boys who now pretend as if they are avenging the attack on their colleagues used the opportunity to burgled some shops and loot.

“Though, we saw different team patrol teams from Police stations like Adeniji Adele, Lion Building, Ebute-Ero and Area ‘A’ command, RRS and OP MESA military team, but nothing has been done because these patrol teams will just blow siren to scare away the notorious boys and once they left, the boys show up again and continue with their bad operations”, he disclosed.

The source alleged that some bad eggs among the police in some stations who were on the payroll of the miscreants usually inform them when the security operatives were about to invade the area boys, adding “It is an open-secret because we listen to them when they disseminate the information to their colleagues to stay away for some hours and come back later”

Authoritative source revealed that the clashes suddenly turned to robbery because the boys could not take care of other recruited youths from Mushin, Oshodi and other parts of Lagos state, “The boys on Island who recruited them have no money and food to take care of them and they resorted to robbery and burgling of shops, departmental stores where they get foods, drinks and others.

When our correspondent visited some Streets on the Island, most of them were disserted. Some parts of the Island which are not affected by the mayhem. They include Isale-Eko, Idumota, Nnamdi Azikwe, Broad Street, Balogun Apongbon, Offin, Oke-Arin, Olowogbowo and Ebute-Ero.

Other areas that were partially affected are Agarawu, Alagbaa, Itafaji, Obadina, Aroloya, Luther, Massey, Apatira and Tinubu areas where people were occasionally seen running and normalcy return a minute later.

Efforts to speak with the Police Area Commander proved abortive as he was said to be either on patrol with his men or in crucial meeting with DPOs and other security operatives over the matter.