Lagosians raise the alarm over attacks on highways at dawn

Commuters plying the Ojota-Berger route on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway have lamented and alerted citizens to be wary of a new wave of attacks by some miscreants who rob unsuspecting members of the public of their valuables in the morning.

The Guardian investigations revealed that for about two weeks running, hoodlums have been operating in the axis, unleashing attacks on passengers alighting from buses and those heading to their various destinations from as early as 5:00a.m.

Narrating his experience, a driver, Seun Ibukun, said the attackers usually hide in locations not too far away from the road and immediately they see passengers alighting from buses, they rob them of their possessions.

“Immediately they see anybody coming down from the bus, they just appear from nowhere to collect their phones and whatever they have with them.

The hoodlums use to operate with cutlass, which often times they hide in their back. Once they come close to you, they will bring out the cutlass from their back.

“It is no longer safe to walk very early in the morning along the road or to wait for buses right from the Ojota dumpsite to the China Town area and environs.

More disturbing is the fact that the perpetrators often get away with the crime, which they usually perpetrate when police officers in the area are not at their post.”

Recounting his ordeal, a passenger who identified himself as Tope Owoeye, said he escaped death by the whiskers four days ago when he was attacked few metres from the Ojota dumpsite by hoodlums who tried to pushed him down at the elevated portion of the road in an attempt to confiscate his valuables.

Another driver, Ibrahim Salau told The Guardian that the miscreants sometimes pretend as if they are also waiting for bus just to rob people waiting for vehicles.

“Once they see passengers alighting from the opposite direction, they would run as fast as they could to rob the person.

We alerted two of our passengers some days ago to run to safety immediately we saw two young men crossing the road after they alighted from the bus.

It is becoming rampart for young men to waylay early risers in order to rob them of their ATM, phones, purse and bags”, he said.

He advised the Lagos State government to beef up security on the road early in the morning so that those going to their offices would feel safe without losing lives and valuables.

Salau also counseled people to be vigilant while waiting for bus on the highways not to fall victim of the miscreants’ attacks.