Igando residents still traumatised…

Five arrested over attack on community after Tuesday’s gun battle

The morning after gunmen suspected to be militants engaged security operatives in a fierce firefight at Igando area of Lagos, the state police command has arrested five suspects of the brutal attack as traumatized residents slowly pick up the pieces of their lives that were abruptly disrupted on Tuesday morning.

The shooting, which continued yesterday morning, has allegedly left six policemen severely injured. Sporadic shooting continued yesterday unabated as the gunmen staged a vicious comeback to inflict terror on the community dwellers.

The Lagos State police spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, who accompanied the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, on an on-the-spot assessment of the area, noted that the residents were still traumatised.The suspected gunmen, who intelligence sources claim to be displaced oil pipeline vandals, had stormed the Obadore, Ewedogbon, Akesan, Fatoki and Egan communities of Igando, leaving six persons injured, as they robbed residents of their valuables.

Although heavily armed policemen later repelled the hoodlums, the gang, nevertheless, successfully carted away money and other valuables from the defenseless residents.
Against all expectations and in spite of the heavy police presence and deployment of drones, helicopters and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), the gunmen came back to the community yesterday to unleash mayhem.

They were said to have bided their time until the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, and his team, who visited the area, left the scene. Owoseni and his men had not gone far when they struck.

Thankfully, the police were again able to rise to the occasion to repel the invaders, which triggered rumours that made the rounds that the vandals attacked the Commissioner of Police.

Speaking to newsmen, some of the residents, who lamented that they have been living in fear due to the continuous attacks on their once peaceful community. They, therefore, called on the police to ensure that the criminal elements are fished out, so they can sleep with two eyes closed.

One of the residents, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “We don’t feel safe anymore. Our lives are under threat. These criminals come here at will, rob and traumatize us and go scot-free.“Now, the police have told us that they can’t access the creeks because of its nature, isn’t it high time they invite the navy and the air force, with their advantage of the air and the water to tackle this menace? The news we are hearing is that the security agencies are asking residents to vacate the area. Where are we vacating to? he asked.”

While debunking claims that the CP was attacked, Badmos said the police have regained control of the area. “The CP was there to see our men deployed there. He also went there for an on-the-spot assessment. He met with the residents and we opened up investigation channels.

“What happened is that these criminals are exploiting the natural habitat because the waterways are filled with thick foliage. So, it’s easier for them to navigate through the area since they know the terrain more than we do.“Given what we saw, the command will put up its operational strategy to ensure they don’t continue to take advantage of the terrain to perpetrate crime. We arrested five suspects and we are using them to ferret out information,” she said.