Lockdown: Vigilance groups, residents keep watch, urge more security patrol

Security
By Modupe Oremule
Ogun, April 14, 2020 (NAN) Vigilance groups and residents of Denro-Ishashi, Alagbole and Akute in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun on Tuesday say they have intensified watch at night to ward off hoodlums disturbing their community.

The residents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said that since security personnel could not be everywhere, they needed to protect their environment.

According to the residents, the hoodlums have taken advantage of the current lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic to rob them of their valuables and harass them day and night.

NAN reports that the residents, comprising of mostly youths, joined the different vigilance groups on Sunday night to commence the protection of their communities.

They had machetes, made bonfires and blew whistles to ward off the robbers.

A resident, Mr Abayomi Lawal, said he barely slept at night, since he heard that robbers were on the prowl.

“Once it is 11 p.m., I become very alert, I will not be able to sleep because I don’t know what to expect, even in broad daylight. We are scared,” he said.

Lawal, who has two daughters, said that his main fear was the stories he heard of women and girls being molested by the robbers.

“This is scary; how do I fully go to sleep when I have two daughters? I heard that these robbers are not only stealing, but are raping their female victims. The idea is just appalling to me,” he said.

Mrs Sharon Okafor, a foodstuff trader, said she had to quickly close her shop on Monday when she heard that hoodlums were invading shops and stealing their goods.

“I can’t allow some hoodlums to kill me because I opened my shop; it is someone who is alive that will be able to sell and make money.

“My daughter called me to say that I should close my shop, that some hoodlums were raiding shops in Martins especially those selling foodstuffs.

“People are really afraid; we can’t even go out to peep through the gate because of the fear of being attacked,” she said.

Abdulrasak Owoseni, a youth, said that the unrest and attacks on other streets made him join the vigilance duty, adding that it was sad that some people could take advantage of the lockdown to torment innocent citizens.

“It is unfair that some hoodlums will be using this period to torment others, I understand that people are becoming hungry and restless, but it shouldn’t be an avenue to cause chaos.

“People are now scared to sleep at night because they don’t know if their street or house will be the next. Some youths and I joined the vigilance group because they can’t do it alone,” he said.

Owoseni, however, appealed to the Police to also make their presence felt by patrolling these communities day and night.

He said that the measures would send a strong warning to the hoodlums to steer off the area. (NAN)
MJO/FAA/ISMA
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Edited by Folasade Adeniran/Ismail Abdulaziz