Hundreds of soldiers at the weekend invaded Ishawo community, in Ikorodu to put a stop to activities of illegal vandals operating in the area. The Federal Government, determined to put an end to decades of bunkering activities in Ishawo, deployed 10 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) and heavily armed security operatives last Sunday.

The sudden influx of soldiers yesterday hampered business activities, as a partial curfew was placed on residents of the community, restricting movement and activities of commercial buses and motorcyclists.

According to a resident, Adebimpe Tolu, residents who refused to obey the instructions of the soldiers to remain indoors were severely punished, and only few people ventured out of their homes yesterday for fear of being caught in the crossfire between the soldiers and pipeline vandals. She added that the ban placed on commercial buses and motorcyclists were enforced yesterday with several residents trekking long distances to get to the main road.

A businesswoman, Mrs. Ogunrinde Motunrayo, also lamented the poor sales she had yesterday as the military clampdown also prevented traders from opening their shops for business.

The state government has, however, appealed to residents of the area to cooperate with security agencies in carrying out its surveillance activities aimed at flushing out criminals from Ishawo.