The Lagos State Police Command has arrested no fewer than 130 suspects in connection with the unrest and attacks by hoodlums in various parts of the state during the lockdown.
This followed PUNCH Metro’s story that residents of some communities in Ogun and Lagos states had turned themselves into vigilantes to resist attacks by hoodlums, including the Awawa Boys and One Million Boys, among others.
The hoodlums had taken advantage of the lockdown occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic to dispossess unsuspecting members of the public of their valuables.
Areas affected by the onslaught launched by the hoodlums in Lagos are Capitol Road, Amowo, Dopemu, Oko-Oba, Maroko, Abule-Egba, Ogba, Ejigbo and Agege.
In a bid to curb the attacks, youths formed themselves into vigilante groups and reportedly clashed with some of the hoodlums, creating tension in some of the affected areas.
An injured resident of Abule-Egba, Abass Babatunde, told our correspondent on Monday that about 20 hoodlums were about to attack the Baale of Olota around 2am when the vigilantes intercepted them, adding that he was injured in the process.
Babatunde stated,
“We were attacked in Ekoro, Abule-Egba; we were on guard duty when one Ibrahim and Ajongolo mobilised about 20 hoodlums to attack the Baale of Olota. So, we went to defend him and in the process, I was attacked with cutlass and received machete blows in the head, hands and other parts of my body.”
The Baale of Olota in Agbado Oke-Odo, Daniel Ajibose, said, “I was in my palace around 2am, because we had constituted ourselves into a vigilante group to prevent the hoodlums from attacking us. All of a sudden, I saw about 20 hoodlums moving to the front of my palace and they started attacking us with cutlasses. But the residents came to my rescue and the hoodlums injured about eight of them.
