Lagos: I gave hoodlums N40,000 to escape being gang-raped -Resident

by Kunle Falayi



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Residents of Mushin area of Lagos are still living in an atmosphere of fear after Sunday's mayhem in which their homes were looted and a man was allegedly killed.

Saturday PUNCH visited the area on Wednesday to see what has changed since the incident, but observed that many of the residents are afraid that the hoodlums who carried out the attack might soon come back as they reportedly promised.

Some of the residents, who told our correspondent their stories, insisted the perpetrators, who they said numbered more than 50, came from Akala Street, Mushin.

Ike Olu Street was the most affected area. There were still remnants of shattered vehicle windscreens, house windows and burnt vehicles on the street when our correspondent visited.

The residents told Saturday PUNCH that the hoodlums went from house to house about 1.30 am on Sunday, robbing, looting shops and smashing cars before fleeing when they noticed police presence.

The looting hoodlums came back after they had initially fled, Saturday PUNCH learnt.

More looting was recorded during their second coming, it was learnt. It was during that period that they reportedly burnt the vehicles they had already smashed.

At least eight vehicles were said to have been burnt down. Our correspondent counted five burnt vehicles that had not been taken away by their owners.

A youth in Fadeyi, Monsuru Olayiwola, who had been reported to be one of the masterminds of the attack, told our correspondent he knew nothing about the matter.

He said, "I read in a newspaper report that I was wielding a pump-action rifle during the mayhem. That is a blatant lie.

"It was a ploy by the criminals responsible to implicate me. I was at Ikorodu overnight during the mayhem and a lot of people can attest to this. I have not been in that particular part of Mushin for three years because of the violence of the youths in the area."

A resident of Fadeyi, Wale Ayodele, told our correspondent that the hoodlums were suspected to comprise area boys and cult members.

He said, "We were very shocked when it was reported that the attack was carried out by youths from Fadeyi. This is not the first time this kind of attack would be blamed on Fadeyi boys by Mushin youths.

"Go to the street where the attacks took place and the residents themselves will tell you where the hoodlums came from."

Tunde, a resident of Ike Olu Street, said the hoodlums announced their presence by shooting and smashing the windos of parked cars.

He said, "They smashed anything in sight and went from house to house, robbing people of cash, telephone sets, televisions, generators and even clothes.

"They destroyed some of the furniture I had been contracted to make for someone. But I fared better than some other people on this street."

But another resident, who identified herself simply as Florence, said she narrowly escaped being gang-raped by about 15 men, who kicked down the door of her apartment.

Florence said, "I have no doubt that the men moving about the street, robbing and attacking people were up to 70 because the ones who came into my room were up to 15. There were other groups in other apartments at the same time.

"They kicked down the door and demanded money and my phones. But I was begging them that I had nothing in the house.

"I thought they would move on to other houses if I told them that. But some of them suddenly pulled down my trousers and wanted to rape me. I started begging and quickly dipped my hand into a place where I had saved N40,000 and handed it to them.

"I begged them to let me go. I told them that was all I had. I was lucky they left after that."

Another resident, who pleaded anonymity, lost his commercial buses to the hoodlums.

He said, "I'm just a mechanic and I have a shop on this street. I'm not a resident of this street. I got to the workshop on Monday morning and saw the burnt carcass of my bus.

"I told the driver to always park the bus in front of my workshop every night. These hoodlums have destroyed a good source of money for me. To add to my woes, I have not finished paying for the bus because I'm paying on an instalment plan."

Our correspondent learnt that a driver with a new generation bank has been arrested in connection with the burning of a vehicle during the mayhem.

The unidentified driver was said to have taken the official vehicle of his boss, a new Toyota Corrolla, home after the close of work the previous Friday.

It was burnt by the hoodlums where he parked it. The burnt car was still on the street when our correspondent visited.

Each of the residents had one thing or another to tell our correspondent, as he moved round the area.

A hairdresser said the door of her shop was kicked down and the hoodlums took away her generator.

A resident, Mrs. Rachael Adepoju, lost her savings and telephone sets to the hoodlums who came into her house, wielding guns, broken bottles and machetes.

Another resident said they threatened to kill two people in her house if she did not hand over her belongings.

A man next door was brutally beaten because he was not fast enough when he was handing over his belongings.

"They are cult members," a resident, Fatai Owolabi, told our correspondent.

"Everybody on this street is aware that there has been a long-standing feud between members of the Eiye Confraternity and .

"I don't know who is accusing who, but we heard that one said the other was responsible for the death of two of its members. Anytime there is a problem, they use the opportunity to loot, rob and unleash mayhem on residents," he said.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the men responsible for the mayhem were suspected to be those vending hard drugs and Indian hemp in Mushin.

Spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, had on Sunday said some suspects had been apprehended in connection with the case.

It is not clear how far the investigation had gone as Braide's phone line indicated it was switched off when our correspondent contacted her on Wednesday.

http://odili.net/news/source/2013/may/25/824.html

Osun: Fracas in Ogboni Confraternity over new leader's appointment

News Monday, May 27, 2013



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BY GBENGA OLARINOYE

OSOGBO - Members of Ogboni Confraternity in Osogbo may have turned the Osun Grooves to battle field following a fracas which ensued between two factions of the group.

During the crisis which occurred, last week, the curator and site manager of the National Museum, Osogbo, under the National Commission for Museum and Monument Department of the Federal Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Mr. Olakunle Makinde, was caught in the web of the crisis and beaten blue black which led to his being hospitalised.

Also, staff of the commission whose offices are located inside the Osun Grooves have deserted thier offices for almost a week for fear of being attacked like their boss.

It was gathered that the fracas started following attempt to appoint new leader of the confraternity in Osogbo called Are Ogboni. It was gathered that one Okiki was appointed the new Are Ogboni and was to be crowned by the Olu-awo, Alhaji Adebisi, but because of the rift between Okiki and Olu-awo, Adebisi was by-passed while the World President known as Alaye was invited from Imesi-Ile for the installation.

Shortly after the installation, the poster of new Are Ogboni was pasted on the Ogboni meeting Centre called Iledi located inside Osun Grooves. It was learnt that some members loyal to Adebisi, the Olu-awo tore the posters at Iledi which resulted in the fracas.

In the ensuing melee, several people were injured as dangerous weapons were freely used before the intervention of policemen from the Zone II of the Nigeria Police. Some personalties were reportedly arrested, detained and later released on bail.

Efforts by members loyal to the new Are Ogboni (Okiki) to take over the control of Iledi, the meeting venue of the confraternity, compounded the crisis as the two factions are laying claim to the centre.

The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun and his traditional chiefs have intervened in the matter and appealed to the two factions to maintain law and order promising to look into the matter.

It was also learnt the matter has been officially reported to the Director General of National Museum and Monuments, Yusuf Abdudala Usman and Director of Heritage Sites and Monuments, Mr. Oluremi Adebayo and security operatives towards guarantee the safety of the staff of the Osogbo National Museum.

http://odili.net/news/source/2013/may/27/343.html

3 die, 12 houses razed in Lagos communal clash
FRANCIS SUBERU AND MURITALA AYINLA

Three people were feared killed and 12 houses burnt yesterday in a communal clash between the Ilaje and the Ajah on Lagos Island.

Hell was let loose as the entire Ilaje Waterside area of Ajah was turned into a theatre of war.

When our correspondent visited Ajah yesterday, hundreds of people were seen fleeing the community just as Ilaje Waterside and the California Village within the neighborhood had been totally deserted.

Some youths who stayed behind were openly brandishing dangerous weapons, including cutlasses, broken bottles and daggers.

Investigations by our correspondents revealed that the major settlers in the area, the Ilaje, and the indigenes, the Ajah, had been living together peacefully until recently when they had disagreement over toll collection at Ilaje motor park and boundary control.

It was gathered that the Ilaje, being the main settlers in the area, wanted total control of the boundary and the collection of tolls from the motor park but the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, objected to it; saying being settlers in an area does not confer control of parks and toll collections.

This angered the Ilaje who believed that the decision of the union was influenced by the Ajah people who allegedly had three of their indigenes as principal officers of the union.

Trouble, however, started on Monday when some Ilaje youths allegedly attacked the Ajah people, injuring their monarch, Baale Ojupon Alani, and two other chiefs.

A source told our correspondent that the Ilaje waterside people recruited mercenaries from their kit and kin in other riverine areas to prosecute the fight.

Yesterday, in retaliation of what the Ilaje people did on Monday, Ajah youths descended on the Ilaje and burnt their houses. About 12 houses were burnt while three people were reportedly killed in the fracas.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Ngozi Braide, said the fight broke out early in the morning and that police officers were quickly deployed to the area to maintain the peace.

Braide, however, said she could not confirm if anybody died in the incident, stressing that the area was now calm.

The PPRO said: “The fight broke out early hours of today (Wednesday) and our men from Ajah division and surrounding divisions, including men of Rapid Respond Squad, RRS, were quickly deployed to the scene.

“They were able to bring the situation under control and arrested two persons with two pump action machine guns.”

She, however, added that the suspects had been transferred to the State Anti- Robbery Squad, SARS.

But the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lateef Ibirogba, could not confirm the communal clash even as he made efforts to call his counterpart in rural development.

A source in the Ministry of Rural Development, who did not want his name mentioned, told National Mirror that the crisis was between cult members, who were students of higher institutions located in the two communities.

He said: “The clash was between Eye Confraternity and other cult members. It has nothing to do with the communities at all.”

All efforts to speak with the Commissioner for Rural Development, Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi proved unsuccessful.

NURTW clash claims 6 in Lagos

Written by Olalekan Olabulo - Lagos
Monday, May 27, 2013


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NO fewer than six people have been killed, as factions of hoodlums clashed over control of motor parks in Ajah area of Lagos State.

The battle for ownership and territorial control of Ajah has been on for sometime and the hope of many residents that it had ended, was dashed Saturday afternoon, as hostility returned.

Three factions were identified in the latest clash - the Ajah boys, Olumegbon boys and Ilaje boys, with the Ajah boys said to have had the upper hand.

A resident of Ilaje, who identified himself as Tunde , while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, stated that the latest clash was supposed to be between the Olumegbon boys and Ajah boys, but it was extended to the Ilaje boys, who were initially not part of it.

Tunde said four Olumegbon boys and two people were killed in the clash which disrupted commercial activities in many parts of Ajah, on Saturday.

It was gathered that the Olumegbon and the Ajah boys, who had initially formed an alliance against the Ilaje boys had for some weeks now been having disagreement over a " minor issue" of who controls the parks.

The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the Olumegbon boys had, on Saturday, been deceived that there was going to be a peace meeting, when the Ajah boys attacked them, killing four people in the process.

The Ajah Boys , who felt that the Ilaje boys might support the Olumegbon boys, invaded the Ajah boys' base and reportedly killed two members of the gang. The situation became very riotous, as sounds of gun took over many parts of Ajah, forcing many residents to flee, while others remained indoors.

A resident, who pleaded anonymity, stated that the recent crisis might not be connected with moves by a prominent person in the area to become the traditional ruler of the town.

"The Ajah boys and Olumegbos boys used to be friends until the godfather of the Olumegbon boys started a fresh move to become the oba of Ajah," the resident said.

He, however, appealed to the police and the state government to intervene and prevent the warring hoodlums from causing further mayhem.

Meanwhile, army and police had since on Saturday, been drafted to many parts of Ajah. Efforts to get the reaction of the image maker in charge of the state police command, Ngozi Braide, were futile

http://odili.net/news/source/2013/may/27/610.html

http://odili.net/news/source/2013/may/27/835.html

THIS ONE NA SOUTHERN BOKO HARAM

This thread should be moved to the trash section.

No bad news or drama from the SW so an ibo boy/man just had to dig something up! I guess they are working to make better the lot of their people.

Impressive, lol....

madam_oringo: No bad news or drama from the SW so an ibo boy/man just had to dig something up! I guess they are working to make better the lot of their people.

So these are good news? You are so so shameless.

Sw-vandalism and political thuggery. SE and ss-robbery and kidnapping.

I noticed that any time oga @ the top fumbled, the next strategy his supporters used to employ is tribalism and sensless tribal division. Rather than using tribalism to cover up the heat of the day, tell ur oga @ the top to stop making clueless moves.

because ur siblings and folkes are involved so it should be move to trash section. Come and see the way they are destroying and stealing people property wielding automatic rifle you will weep for them.

njazra: This thread should be moved to the trash section.

These strategy has being working for politicians in south west that durring election you dare not vote unless you are voting for them.

seunfly: I noticed that any time oga @ the top fumbled, the next strategy his supporters used to employ is tribalism and sensless tribal division. Rather than using tribalism to cover up the heat of the day, tell ur oga @ the top to stop making clueless moves.

We would rather take thuggery than Kidnapping and cannibalism that happens elsewhere

Adejoro74:
So these are good news? You are so so shameless.

their was one i withness in ijora badia. I saw old men, old women, babies, youth in their prime wielding cutlass, localy made rifle looting house to house. Stealing from people, children and old women smokin indian hemp. When we ask them what is happening they said