Residents confront robbers, hand two to police

Residents of Jones Street and Daodu Lane in Ebute Meta, Lagos State, in the early hours of Wednesday, confronted some suspected armed robbers in the area.

They succeeded in apprehending two of them and handed them over to the Iponri Police Division.

The suspects were said to have been part of a gang that had spent hours robbing several houses in the area.

Source learnt that the robbery started about 11pm on Tuesday evening when the gang members, who residents claimed were also cult members, stormed several houses, wielding cutlasses, axes and machetes.

Our correspondent further gathered that the men, who were six in number, were led by one Kingsley, a notorious cult leader with no fixed address.

One of the residents, identified simply as Mr. Ademolu, who sustained machete wounds, said he engaged the robbers in a combat because they wanted to kill him.

He said, “It was about 5am when they got to my house. Everywhere was dark. I was aware that they had been raiding the neighbouring houses and I was trying to reach the vigilante group in the area.

“Unfortunately, that did not work out. Not long after, they broke the front door of my house and rushed in. They began to beat me after getting some money which they claimed was not enough.

“They hit my back with their machetes. That was when I also picked an iron object, and rushed at them. My elderly son did too. Their torches fell, and they were looking for how to escape. Then, I alerted other nearby residents, and we rushed at them.”

Our correspondent learnt that although the gang leader and three members escaped, residents were able to catch two of them.

After the suspects had been beaten, the vigilante group, with some residents handed them over to the police on Wednesday morning.

Ademolu, who showed our correspondent the wounds on his body, added that the suspected robbers stole N60, 800 and two mobile phones from him. He is being treated at a private hospital in Oyingbo.

Another victim, Mr. Olatunji Oluawo, whose house was broken into around 2.30am, said when the suspects could not break into his room, they smashed his two cars in anger.

He said, “I went to bed at about 12am. About two hours after, I began to hear hard knocks on our gates. The next thing was that they entered the compound, and ordered us to open our doors.

“My wife kept shouting ‘thief, thief’. But they threatened that we called the police, they would kill me. They smashed my two cars, and broke my padlocks. Fortunately, the police eventually came, but by that time, the robbers had gone. Well, I have resolved that I am leaving the area. I cannot endanger my family. We have endured robbery attacks for long on this street.”

Our correspondent further learnt from a security source that although men of the Special Anti-robbery Squad came to the area, no arrest was made. The source also added that the two suspects, caught by the residents, are still being held at the Iponri Police Division.

The Lagos State Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said she would get back to our correspondent with details, but she had yet to do so as of the time of going to the press.

Source: Punch