‘I Am Going Into Armed Robbery’—Frustrated Vulcanizer Tells Fashola

“Where do they want me to go or what do they want me to do now? I cannot be an ‘agbero’ at my age. Well, the only option left for me is to go into armed robbery.”

Those were the words of Alhaji Jubril Ibrahim, a vulcanizer at 53, Warehouse Road, Apapa, whose shed was demolished to pave way for a beautification project in the area, when he visited P.M.NEWS. Alhaji Ibrahim told P.M.NEWS that he had been occupying the demolished shed since 1978 when he finished his apprenticeship.

He warned that if his shed is not replaced or  if he is prevented from operating in the area, ”the only option left for me is to pick up arms.” The frustrated man, who looked totally dejected, said those doing the beautification work should have the feelings of the people at heart. The man, who claimed to be a father of seven, said: “It is from this job that I feed myself, my wife and seven children and now that I have been sent packing, how am I going to feed the children.

“I cannot go to motor park and become an ‘agbero.’ I will become an armed robber, that is the only alternative I have now.” When told of the implications of what he was saying, he blurted out defiantly: “I will become an armed robber and start robbing people and if I am caught and killed, I am okay. By sending me away from my work place, they have already killed me. So, I don’t care. I will take to robbery, that is what is left for me to do.”

He also disclosed that he prefers to lose his wife to another man than lose his job. “If anyone takes my wife, I will happily forsake her. But my job is very important to me. Anybody that takes my job has already killed me. Taking away my job is taking away my means of livelihood,” he added. Alhaji Ibrahim, who claimed to be a member of the Action Congress in Ward B, Apapa Local Government Area, appealed to the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, to intervene in his plight, so as to enable him change his decision.

http://thepmnews.com/2009/03/23/i-am-going-into-armed-robbery-%E2%80%94frustrated-vulcaniser-tells-fashola#comments

He should have thought about all this before having 7 kids.
Go ahead Fashola, under bridges were not built for motor packs, or mechanic shops

roflmao!!!

maybe Fashola told him to have 7 kids.

i think children are gifts from God so to me he should atert another thing like selling cards or look for a hand work like sewing and start from somewhere

does he ned to announce it first.
He should just start na
Funny

 I laugh because it is funny that he is being honest about it.


WOW!!! You are piece of work, aren't you?

On that thread about Fashola demolishing peoples sources of livelihood,I said this.
He'll push people into illegal acts and now Pa Ibrahim is threatening to pick up arms.
I know Fashola has the best intentions but he should have provided alternatives before the demolition.
What's this husband and father of 7 expected to do?
no unemployment pay out
no social security
no council flats or homeless shelter
no food stamps and Govt help

I do feel for him.
He and several others have been treated very unfairly in a bid to clean up Lagos.
Should we trample on the low income wage earners just because we can?
This is very very sad.
He could have been any of our parents or even us.

Oh come on!! if you lived in a country like Nigeria, where people can make do with very little, do you think majority are thinking of limiting the number of kids they can have the way it is done out in western and more developed countries?  He was able to father his kids with that kind of jobs apparently. Let us not focus on the number of kids he has or does not have but the fact that the man is NOW jobless. When you are jobless, it does not really matter how many kids you have or do not have. The fact is this man is suddenly having to deal with being jobless, only that in his case, he is jobless in Nigeria, with no other place to turn but crime.

WHAT!!!!  lol

People say government should provide alternative.

I agree with that but, the problem is most of them cannot afford it. That is why most of them were using free illegal structures that lead to drainage problem, traffic, a dirty environment, outbreak of diseases etc.

The only alternative the government can provide is free Shops. If that is the case more people from other states will be coming to Lagos for their free shops. And I do not think the Lagos government can afford to provide free shops.

Hmm. Interesting. There is definitely collateral damage here. Displaced pple like this Alhaji will definitely take some desperate measures, however I was informed that these people were given enough notice to vacate. Also looks like a good number of these folks are emigrating to cities like Ibadan (another reason crime is up there). In all, I would say this is the typical challenge in politics. You can't please everyone. But dude has been in the same spot since 1978?? Not sure what to say about that.

There are reasons why we're in this shithole we find ourselves today. And one of them happens to be Nigerians' lack of appreciation for the concept of 'taxpayers money'.

Why should taxpayers' money be used to 'compensate' people who were breaking the law? Why should Fashola be derided for not showing a 'human face', when he's merely doing what we all need: zero tolerance to illegal acts?

Most people complaining here are outside the country. How many of them have attempted building shanty huts in public areas overseas?

It is irresponsible to insist that Fashola compensates these people. If the guy wants to go into armed robbery, that's his lookout.

thank you.

How many governments has Nigeria itself passed through since then.

When did he start having those 7 kids because most of them should have graduated college or poly by now.

Anyways 7 kids and you know damn well u aint even middle class or rich na stupidity. What happened to family planning?

 The government is already providing low cost stores, a N400,000 store is not bad . It is also providing financing by covering half the cost with taxpayers money while the bank covers the other half. But in Nigeria that is not enough, they want it for Free.

People's lives are also affected because of the illegal structure.

Rubbish talk.