11th December, 2021
Some victims of the activities of hoodlums within the communities in the Agege area, especially Pen Cinema, have spoken out.
One of the victims, Olawale Ajayi, narrated how he was robbed by the hoodlums in Pen Cinema on Wednesday.
Olawale said: “I went to Agege to purchase some items for my sister’s wedding on Saturday, I was walking through the rail lines when about seven men surrounded me in the market and asked that I emptied my pocket or be stabbed to death.
“I had no choice but to give up all the money left with me for the fear of being stabbed. Everyone in the market went about their business, no one came to my rescue. I could not shout because I was in the centre of seven thugs with knives.”
Another victim, who simply identified himself as Michael, said: “I was attacked around 3pm in broad daylight around Pen Cinema bridge. The thugs were not even scared. One of them came to attack me before I knew what was going on, the others joined. I just have to give them all I have with me to avoid trouble. From what I saw, these hoodlums are ruling marketplaces in Agege”
One of the traders in Agege market, who preferred anonymity, said: “What are we going to do, we look away of course, how many thugs are we going to fight. I’m here to make money and not to get into trouble with thugs. So when I see thugs attack anybody, I just face my market.”
The victims spoke to PM News on Friday after Chief Wakili Sunmonu, the Baale Pananda, Pencinema Agege, acknowledged the security challenges during stakeholders’ meeting in Agege on Thursday.
According to the chief, the rate at which the hoodlums were harassing and robbing the residents could not be overemphasised.
Sunmonu urged the local government to provide a lasting solution to the challenges of security around the pen cinema area in the Agege community.
He said: “We need adequate security enforcement in pen cinema area, it’s like the hoodlums want to take over the area because they operate both day and night.”
Alhaja Taibat Tijani, the Agege Market Leader in her contributions also appealed to the government to ensure adequate security within the market places in Agege local government.
Tijani said that havoc created by the hoodlums within the market places have affected some of the traders in Agege.
“We want the local government to provide light for us in the markets to prevent the activities of the hoodlums within the market places.
“We also want public toilets because both our market traders and customers find it difficult to ease themselves in the markets,” she said.
Chief Shuaib Afogunlowo, Baale Dopemu Area in Agege also urged the council to provide water and accessible roads in the community.
According to him, each Ward in the area needs boreholes to eradicate the scarcity of water in the community.
Mrs Musiliat Olaseeni, one of the Community Development Committee Leaders in her comments appealed to the gave to intervene to exorbitant charges of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).
Meanwhile, Alhaji Ganiyu Egunjobi, the Executive Chairman, Agege Local Government in Lagos State, at the meeting, said efforts have been put in place to establish a formidable task force to curb security challenges within the community in the Agege area.
According to him, the task force combining law enforcement agencies will be created to tackle the lingering security challenges facing the residents.
He said: “The council understands the level of security challenges no doubt about that, that’s why we are clamoring for community policing to ensure all the nook and crannies in the community are free from crime.
“But efforts have been put in place to form our formidable security task force to nip in the bud the security challenges facing the community.”