EXPOSED: NEW SYSTEM USED BY ARMED ROBBERS IN LAGOS TODAY

The only thing that is permanent in life, they say, is change. And as change occurs, it may come in a positive or negative way. In a traumatized economy like Nigeria’s, change may bring about socio-economic dislocation and, with it, criminality in most cases.
While the society at large is grappling with the consequences of the political change we settled for last year, criminals in Lagos may have latched onto the mantra to devise new tricks of their nefarious trade, writes CYRIACUS NNAJI.

In order to survive, many, including criminals, may have been forced by the bitin

g economic hardship in the land to innovate. Criminals now use all manners of tricks to entrap their victims. Today, the reverse of the classical saying that there is no hiding place for the criminal in a decent society has become the norm: In Lagos, there is no hiding place any longer for the citizen! Before the people’s very eyes, criminals have penetrated churches, mosques and other holy sanctuaries initially believed to be places of refuge and safety. As in the banks, desperate men of the underworld now have their collaborators inside churches and other holy sanctuaries,
who inform them when big money enters the worship centres. Otherwise how could a senior pastor of the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Church in Lagos have been brutally killed after withdrawing a huge amount of money from a bank in Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos last year? How could other dastardly acts in other places of worship and other high and low places have happened, but for the heinous collaboration of insiders? It is scarier when it is realized that many of these robbers now operate as beggars, security officers and worshippers. A story was told about a man who was lying across the road like somebody wounded by armed robbers, only for him to rob the good Samaritan who came to rescue him! The likely effect of such incident is that when next a Good Samaritan sees a man in genuine need of help, he may just ignore him for fear of being robbed again by a needy who turns out to be a hoodlum. Recently, the Lagos State Police Command arrested some 24 suspected robbers who allegedly attacked some residents and worshippers going for a vigil organised by the Ramadan Lailatul Quadri in the Oworonshoki area of the state. The alleged robbers reportedly invaded Shokoya Street and LK Junction around 2a.m the previous Saturday and stripped the people of their treasured possessions in the process.

According to reports, some of the robbers wore white gowns to camouflage as worshippers. A landlord in the area said: “The police were able to arrest some of the robbers, but others escaped. Some of the robbers wore white robes and mingled with worshippers.

They also destroyed some vehicles parked on the road.” Another man who gave his name as Adebowale, said: “When the noise of the security guards woke us up, some residents went out and pursued some of the robbers. Some of them ran to Onabanjo Street and that was where three of the robbers were arrested. “Some of the robbers came from as far as Ilorin, Kwara State, and Ibadan, Oyo State. They wore religious garments as if they came for the programme. They tried to cart away valuables such as generators and electronic appliances in the various houses they attacked. But, when they heard different alarms going off, they got angry and began to damage vehicles.” Of course, many Lagosians also live in palpable fear as the dare-devil robbers are now using beggars to perpetrate their acts to steal from motorists.

 The robbers target lone occupants of upper class cars to dispossess them of their valuables in addition to demanding smartphones, laptops, money and any money-fetching items. They are usually armed with shot-guns, axes and weapons like knives. It is not unusual to find these urchins on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Oshodi-Agege Motor road, Ojota and many other parts of Lagos. They also find haven around Volkswagen along Badagry Expressway and inside Ajeromi/Ifelodun where residents run for dear lives on a daily basis. A man who had had an encounter with this brand of robbers said: “For many months now, motorists who drive through Mile 2 lose valuable items to robbers. As from 5pm, they have become kings of the road. Funny, they pretend as people begging for money, but they end up robbing motorists of their valuables. If one fails to give them money, they would break one’s side screen and take whatever they lay their hands on and flee.

“This is a daily occurrence starting from Otor Wharf to Mile 2 Bridge up to Mile 2/Oshodi junction. Their target is always big money, phones and laptops and they focus on big cars and vehicles whose drivers are alone. I have been a victim several times. “I have reported several times to the policemen on duty at the Mile 2 bridge and have also called 112 police emergency number for the same complaint, with both the police and the receiver of the police emergency number promising to take urgent action, yet nothing seems to have been done as the hoodlums are still operating uncaught and unhindered.”Another victim of the robbery trend, Jonah Okorie, narrated his experience saying: “I can never forget that fateful day.

 It was early October last year. I was going to Apapa. At Mile 2, there was a traffic jam. One man, dressed like a beggar came and begged me for money.“I told him I did not have. I thought he understood me. Before I could move further, he brought out a hammer and hit my side door. In the process, he made away with my laptop and other valuables. In fact, my entire day was disorganised because I lost a lot of data with the laptop.”

The Lagos police PPRO, SP Dolapo Badmos could not be reached for comment. But, police sources told The AUTHORITY that the most effective way of forestalling attacks by hoodlums using the new robbery tactic is for people to be very careful and conscious of their environment to avoid falling victim to the new-age desperadoes.