The recent incidents of armed robbery cases in Lagos and Ogun state boundaries in the past few days have been described as worrisome and that the concerned states should form a joint boarder patrol or come up with partnership in the area of crime prevention and socio economic development.
This view was expressed by a pan-Yoruba organisation, Coalition Of Oodua Self Determination Groups, COSEG, in a press statement released in Ikeja signed by Comrades Dayo Ogunlana and Dele Daramola the group chairman and publicity Secretary respectively, calling on Lagos State Government and Ogun State counterpart to be vigilant and go all out to apprehend armed robbers who are tormenting the people in Lagos and Ogun Boundaries from Agbado of Lagos to long stretch of towns and villages to Abeokuta.
According to the group “our members and other people living around Agbado to all towns and villages to Abeokuta Road, principally all towns around the boundary of Lagos and Ogun States are being tormented by armed robbers, though some of our members had teamed up with some landlords around that axis to dislodge these wicked people who defiled the lockdown to dispossess people of their belongings and even hacked them down. We have also had cases of these people of darkness doing something in Agege axis of Lagos too.
We therefore call on the two states to join hands together to face these armed robbers head-on.
It is painful that the principle behind this lockdown is presently being defeated as people are coming out massively to protect their properties and even their lifes. People have to abandone social distancing at the risk of their lives. They felt by teaming up in numbers to fight armed robbers, they will conquer them and will not succomb to thier shots, and as such social distancing is abandoned and forgotten at the time of the teaming up to fight the armed robbers”.
Its even troubling that majority of the people believe it is better to individually die to the bullets of the armed robbers or to contract coronavirus. As such, the governments of these two states must version a joint team to protect the lives and properties of the people staying in these areas so that they will be able to stay indoors and be sure that efficient security is being provided, by this they will prefer to stay home since they know that, out there are policemen securing them”.
Furthermore COSEG also call on the security agencies of these two states to be up and doing and ensure that all the armed robbers tormenting the people of these areas are overpowered and arrested.
The group said “we call on all security agencies concerned to come out massively and apprehend those tormenting the people in these areas. The governors of these two states involved are action Governors who have shown capacity and responsiveness, we therefore call on them to instruct the commissioners of police to comb the areas and arrest all these armed robbers”.
The group also volunteered to mobilize it’s members living in these areas who are presently doing fantastic job to join the police and other security apparatus if need be.
“We hereby call on the active and performing Governors of Lagos and Ogun states to direct their commissioners of police to arrest all armed robbers who are tormenting the people. We also seek their approval to mobilize our members who have presently joined landlords of those areas to apprehend some of the armed robbers. These COSEG members staying in those areas are needed by the police and if their services are needed, we shall call on them to join the police to do the needful. This will fasten the operation as these COSEG members live and work around these areas.”
COSEG also appreciates the efforts of the two states in providing neccesssary succor and relief materials to those who really need them in these two states, they equally pleaded that more relief materials should be provided.
Finally, “we thank the governors of the two states for their selfless efforts in giving succor to the people of their states by providing relief materials for them. However, we know that no matter how much or how many of these materials procured and distributed, it cannot go round. But having said this, we call on the Governors of the two states to provide more of these relief materials and distribute widely to many that have not been touched. We thank you as we call on you to do more. Our people are appreciative people and they see what you are doing, so we urge you not to relent.”
