– Residents of Ikorodu communities are back to living in fear
– According to them, militants who killed several people and kidnapped landlords in 2016 are back
– The residents fear that the government seems to be doing little or nothing about it
Residents of Isawo and Igbo-Olomu communities of Ikorodu local government cried out for help over return of militants who terrorised the areas in 2016.
ZENITHBLOG.com spoke to some of the residents of Isawo who shared their fears that the militants are regrouping and might soon attacked the community again.
According to one of the residents, who identified himself as Prophet Benson, while speaking to ZENITHBLOG.com said the militants started regrouping sometime in February and have been robbing people since then.
Benson said: “My fellowship members were attacked after a vigil one night, all their valuables were collected from them and the militants told them that the worst is yet to come.”
Most of the residents are afraid to talk to ZENITHBLOG.com because they said talking to the press and police was what got the residents into big trouble in 2016.
The streets of Igbo-olomu community look deserted by 6pm as residents no longer walk aimlessly about.
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However, another resident, who begged to be anonymous said: “I feel like the government is not taking our lives serious. Like they are waiting until they start killing us again before they will come to our rescue. The landlord association has lodged a complain but they only gave us one police patrol vehicle. And the vehicle doesn’t do any patrol, they just sit there from all day.”
A petty trader who identified herself as Moronike Aliyu said: “I close my shop early these days. You can see them smoking when you pass by that side (pointing to a creek) at night. They stopped my son once and took all the soft drinks he was carrying. It is as if they are sending a message of something terrible to come.”
Mr. Nasir, a landlord in Igbo-Olomu, another community
“Some landlords are still missing from the 2016 attacks, while some are dead too. My children just vacated from school, I will send them to my sister in Oshogbo and start looking for another school for them there. This place is not save for children.”
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ZENITHBLOG.com asked Mr Nasir if he had seen the militants around, to which he replied that: “No, I’ve not seen them, but my neighbour, he is Igbo, he was attacked and beaten mercilessly by the militants. His relative came to take him away after the incidents. His load are still inside the house, but we’ve not seen him since last month.”
However, another resident of Igbo-Olomu who didn’t give us his name said dismissively: “I’m not sure they are militants. They are just petty thieves, probably boys from this area who just want to steal phones and money and they are using the militants as cover-up.”
ZENITHBLOG.com tried speaking to some of the police officers in a van parked at Isawo community but they refused to comment on the incidents and were a bit hostile to our correspondent.
Recall that trouble started for Ikorodu residents in March 2016 when some pipeline vandals attacked Ibeshe, Isawo and Igbo-Olomo communities, kidnapping landlords and killing residents.
The vandals allegedly attacked the area after an alleged report by landlord association led to the death of the vandals’ leader in the hands of the police.
The video below is an interview conducted by ZENITHBLOG.com after a Lagos police stray bullet killed a petty trader.
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