10th September, 2012
The traditional ruler of Ikola-Ilumo in Agbado/Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, Chief Habeeb Lawal and residents of the area have sent a Save-Our-soul, S.O.S, letter to the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, on alleged threats to their lives over the reports of robbery incidents in the area.
Speaking on behalf of landlords and community leaders in Ikola-Ilumo, the traditional ruler called on the police boss to come to their rescue due to the persistent threats to their lives over an alleged armed robbery suspect currently detained at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Ikeja.
He said that trouble started in the area on 14 August, 2012, when robbers carried out an operation in a building at 14, Akintunde Williams Street, Ikola in an ash colour Toyota Sequoia SUV around 2.30 a.m and the two night guards on duty allegedly recognised one of them as a son of a leader in the community and promptly reported the incident to his father and the police at Ipaja Police Division, Igbogila-Ipaja.
The Toyota SUV allegedly used for the robbery was later discovered to be the one snatched at gun point during a robbery attack carried out same day around 12 midnight at the residence of the Chairman of Topmost Group of Schools, Dr. Wale Odunayo, and it was reported at the same Ipaja police station same day.
In the SOS signed by Chief Lawal and five other leaders in the area’s Community Development Association, CDA, they called the attention of the Inspector General of Police to the alleged interference in the robbery case by the family of the suspect who had also threatened to kill all those who accused the suspect as a member of the gang that operated in the area.
When contacted, the father of the suspect told P.M.NEWS that his son was being framed because of a land dispute he has with the traditional ruler, but confirmed that some landlords came to his house on the night of the robbery and told him that night guards saw his son and seven other men in an SUV parked in front of his house that night. A police source at SARS, Ikeja, confirmed the case, saying investigation was ongoing and the state Commissioner of Police has shown interest in the case to ensure fairness and justice.