By FABIAN EKERUCHE
LAGOS- Some residents of Fagbile Estate, Ijegun area of Lagos State, has appealed to relevant security authorities to impose a total ban on commercial motorcyclists otherwise known as “Okada” from accessing the estate.
The residents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the area, said that the appealed became necessary following intensified attacks on residents by criminals operating on motorbikes.
An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that the motorcyclist thieves defiled the heavy rain on Sallah day, to rob a widow, a dealer in soft drinks and an agent of a Point of Sale (POS) machine.
He said that the robbers dispossessed the widow and her sister of their phones, money, a POS machine and recharge cards, in front of her nine-year old son.
He said the boy became traumatised after the incident, and lost appetite to eat because of the fear of the sight of a pistol pointed at them by one of the robbers.
He said that while the robbers had concluded their mission, they fired a shot in the air to scare passers-by on the street.
“This is the third time ‘okada’ thieves have robbed on Rotimi Omotosho Street in recent past.
“The ban of commercial motorcyclists has become imperative due to the incessant attacks on the estate residents in broad daylight,’’ he said.
The witness noted that the sight of an ‘okada’ within the estate sends fear among residents because they fear that a potential robber is around.
Also, Mr Anthony Igwe, told NAN, how he came very close to another set of the robbers while returning from service on Sunday, June 19.
Igwe said that some members of the church were paying a visit to another of their members when the lady behind them was attacked by Okada thieves on Olawale Omotosho Street.
According to him, the screaming of the member got his attention, and trying to offer help to her, one of the boys raised his shirt up to show off the head of the pistol he had on him.
‘’At the sight of the gun, I took to my heels and they chased me. I was saved by divine intervention,” Igwe said.
NAN reports that some other residents have experienced similar things from the hands of the Okada thieves.
An investigation by NAN revealed that Olawale Omotosho Street is a fertile ground operation for ‘okada’ thieves as they operate at any time on the street unchallenged.
It was also gathered that Shittu Bashiru Street had been their entry and exit routes, depending on where they were coming from. (NAN)
