Fear grips residents as kingpin terrorises Lagos community of thugs
There are strong indications that the suspected mastermind and leader of the gang terrorising Satellite town and environs in Lagos State have resurfaced few days after he fled their criminal den following a sustained operation by the police in the area.
The alleged mastermind said to lay claim to the leadership of Oguntade community in Satellite town reportedly returned few days after a team of policemen stormed his notorious enclave but failed to arrest him and his cohorts. As at press time, the police had not intervened while victims are living in constant fear.
It was gathered that he narrowly escaped on a motorcycle towards Badagry-Seme axis few minutes before the police team stormed their den. Residents of the area, which includes Abule-Ado, Vin-Niger, Able-Pain, some parts of Trade Fair, Mile 2 and Festac town, had repeatedly complained about the ceaseless attacks, extortion, forceful take over of their hard-earned property, torture, intimidation and harassment by thugs, led by the kingpin who parade the area freely armed with dangerous weapons without fear of security agencies.
Sources, however, revealed that when the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, only three suspects were presented as culprits. One of the suspects was later identified as a member of NUPPENG and one of the victims of the terror gang.
When The Guardian visited the area at the weekend, some of the residents and truck drivers who spoke under anonymity for fear of being attacked, alleged that the hands of police are tied over the matter because of the support the urchins get from a retired top police chief who always come to their rescue each time they were arrested.
It was further gathered that each time the police in Lagos swung into action, the retired police chief would quickly intervene thus making it virtually impossible for both the kingpin and members of the notorious gang to face the law.
According to one of the truck drivers, “if the police and other security agencies fail to check the excesses of these thugs and charge their leader to court for all the atrocities they have committed using ownership of land as a guise, we all should be ready for another insurgency in Lagos.”
Checks revealed that they had subjected residents, especially truck and tanker drivers who are members of NUPPENG to untold hardship by attacking their base at Abule Ado, extorting money from them, battering and killing them. This development, according to sources in the area, resulted in series of petitions to the police and other relevant authorities pleading to be saved from the criminal activities of the thugs but all efforts failed as the thugs operated freely.
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