Terror in Somolu
The residents of Alade Street in Somolu, a Lagos suburb, have called on the police to increase security in the area.
The residents are reacting to the recent spate of robbery in the community, where some of them were robbed and beaten by a 12-man armed robbery gang.
According to the residents, the latest incident happened about 2am on Monday. The armed men, who came in a white Volkswagen Golf car, allegedly targeted four houses occupied by residents and printers, robbing one after the other. The residents said they were still living in shock as a result of the attack.
The houses they attacked are number 7, 9, 11, and 12,” said Salami Akin, a resident. They came into our press. We were working late night, that was about 2am, and the ordered us to bring out all our money and handsets; they started beating us. We were like seven men walking but the gang of armed robbers were carrying sophisticated guns.
They broke our gate and the doors and they collected three phones, one laptops and other valuables including money. They beat us very well when they saw that we did not have enough money.”
A 65-year-old woman, who asked not be named, said the armed robbers threatened to kill her grandson if she did not bring out the money she was hiding.
They stormed my room, I was sleeping with my children and they woke us,” she said. “One of them said, ‘Mama bring out the money’ and I said I do not have money. They said, ‘When we kill your grandson you will bring out money’. That was how my daughter gave them money, N15,000, and they collected her phones.
So it was a traumatic experience. They also robbed three of our neighbours in the other house, they collected N20,000, 10,000, phones and laptops. They used the butt of their gun to hit one of the men who told them he did not have any money.”
A trader in house number 9, Cynthia Odoh said: “The armed robbers broke into our apartment and they beat my husband.
They collected our jewellery and money, Three of them were in the room with us raiding the room and the others were outside, they were not masked at all. In house 12, they collected 160,000, handsets, from a printing press they have not opened till now. It was after the robbers have gone that the police came they just patrolled for a while and they left.”
The new gang of armed robbers, popularly known as the “Feeling Stealing Boys”, been identified as men between 15 and 30 years.
These are normal boys that you see in the afternoon, riding Okada (commercial motorcycle),” said a resident who asked not to be named. “Most of them are dropouts from schools.
Their modus operandi is that they ride on motorcycles in the early hours of the day and they snatch bags. They are more than 20 in that gang and they were known as the ‘Tompolo Boys’.”
Some of the most affected communities in Somolu include: Moshalasi Junction, Olaleye Street, Caroline Hotel and the popular Watch Tower Inn.
However, one of the members of the gang, also known as the Olugbenro Afees, who was arrested at the Abiodun junction at Somolu while snatching a bag from a woman, on February 14th. He has since been arranged at the Somolu Magistrate court 12 on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Lagos State police command, Samuel Jinadu, said he was not aware of the development.
The residents of Alade Street in Somolu, a Lagos suburb, have called on the police to increase security in the area.
The residents are reacting to the recent spate of robbery in the community, where some of them were robbed and beaten by a 12-man armed robbery gang.
According to the residents, the latest incident happened about 2am on Monday. The armed men, who came in a white Volkswagen Golf car, allegedly targeted four houses occupied by residents and printers, robbing one after the other. The residents said they were still living in shock as a result of the attack.
The houses they attacked are number 7, 9, 11, and 12,” said Salami Akin, a resident. They came into our press. We were working late night, that was about 2am, and the ordered us to bring out all our money and handsets; they started beating us. We were like seven men walking but the gang of armed robbers were carrying sophisticated guns.
They broke our gate and the doors and they collected three phones, one laptops and other valuables including money. They beat us very well when they saw that we did not have enough money.”
A 65-year-old woman, who asked not be named, said the armed robbers threatened to kill her grandson if she did not bring out the money she was hiding.
They stormed my room, I was sleeping with my children and they woke us,” she said. “One of them said, ‘Mama bring out the money’ and I said I do not have money. They said, ‘When we kill your grandson you will bring out money’. That was how my daughter gave them money, N15,000, and they collected her phones.
So it was a traumatic experience. They also robbed three of our neighbours in the other house, they collected N20,000, 10,000, phones and laptops. They used the butt of their gun to hit one of the men who told them he did not have any money.”
A trader in house number 9, Cynthia Odoh said: “The armed robbers broke into our apartment and they beat my husband.
They collected our jewellery and money, Three of them were in the room with us raiding the room and the others were outside, they were not masked at all. In house 12, they collected 160,000, handsets, from a printing press they have not opened till now. It was after the robbers have gone that the police came they just patrolled for a while and they left.”
The new gang of armed robbers, popularly known as the “Feeling Stealing Boys”, been identified as men between 15 and 30 years.
These are normal boys that you see in the afternoon, riding Okada (commercial motorcycle),” said a resident who asked not to be named. “Most of them are dropouts from schools.
Their modus operandi is that they ride on motorcycles in the early hours of the day and they snatch bags. They are more than 20 in that gang and they were known as the ‘Tompolo Boys’.”
Some of the most affected communities in Somolu include: Moshalasi Junction, Olaleye Street, Caroline Hotel and the popular Watch Tower Inn.
However, one of the members of the gang, also known as the Olugbenro Afees, who was arrested at the Abiodun junction at Somolu while snatching a bag from a woman, on February 14th. He has since been arranged at the Somolu Magistrate court 12 on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Lagos State police command, Samuel Jinadu, said he was not aware of the development.
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