The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Hoodlums

  • Suspected hoodlums spark fear in Ogun community

    Suspected hoodlums spark fear in Ogun community

    There is fresh apprehension   in Ijoko  community, Ogun State, following what residents call the return of some hoodlums who were arrested a few months ago.

    The suspected hoodlums were  arrested in connection with the  mayhem which engulfed the  community on December 23, 2014 during which many vehicles and  buildings including the palace of a traditional ruler  were razed.

    Nine persons were arrested  at the  time.

    T he police also recovered assorted guns, cutlasses and charms said to belong to the suspects were recovered from their  alleged base at  Alasia area of  the community.

    Two groups, Ijoko Youth Forum and Concerned Citizens of Ijoko,want the state government to save residents from the suspects alleged to  have  been harassing residents  since their return.

    In a petition to Governor Ibikunle Amosun, spokesmen for the groups  Musbau Olatidoye and Kafayat Shokunbi, said the men  “have been harassing, molesting, killing, looting and destroying innocent people’s property. They have been using an uncompleted building at Alasia area of Ijoko which serves as their armoury.

    “Sometime last year, some anti-riot policemen came to the same uncompleted building and 12 locally made   guns, two pump action guns,191 cartridges, two cutlasses, one axe, charms and masquerade clothing among others were recovered but surprisingly they secured their freedom in the court. Since they returned and resumed their hostility in Ijoko, all of us have been living in fear.”

    The groups said the situation might escalate if the men are not called to order immediately.

    The petitioners added: “No fewer than 13 people have been killed by the hoodlums since they started terrorizing the community. We want to urge the police, Department of State Security Service (DSS) and other law enforcement agencies to come to our rescue from the grip of the heartless thugs.”

    A community leader who simply identified himself as Elder Lande said: “We have been living in fear since the boys returned from detention. They would drink and smoke cannabis and beat up people with impunity.They should be checked  in the interest of  peace in this community.”

  • Hoodlums threaten our market, say traders

    Hoodlums threaten our market, say traders

    Odiolowo/Ojuwoye Market is one of the numerous markets situated in Mushin Local Government Area in Lagos. The market is always filled with people trooping in and out to buy goods in bulk to resell or to buy in bits for consumption.  The market which opens as early as 7am and runs till evening witness the influx of people buying and selling different items.

    But with these busy activities going on in the market, the traders are faced with a major problem that has become a nightmare to them.This is the issue of the hoodlums popularly called area boys, they  trouble not only the traders but also the shoppers.

    Speaking with the Iyaloja of the market, Alhaja Mufuliat Abimbola Adebumi,who  was very bitter about the issue,she said: “One of the major problems we have in this market is the issue of the area boys that are troubling the marketers by extorting money from them on a daily basis and when they are not ready to pay, they get harassed. It is a big problem for us here”.

    A seller in the market, Mrs Sikirat Abodunrin, also complained about the activities of area boys in the market. She said it is becoming alarming and a great cause for concern to all.

    “We are always troubled by these area boys all the time as they are always taking money from us and if we don’t want to pay, they won’t allow us to sell and make our business miserable for us leaving us with any choice than to pay. They say they are collecting tax for the government but it is too much. The minimum amount they collect from us is N500 and they even tax us as high as N2,000 and above. This is too much because some of us don’t even make as much as that as gain in one week”.

    For Mr. Kelechi Martins who sells different items, it is high time Governor Akinwumi Ambode came to their rescue.  He said:  “It is not funny at all because on a daily basis, they come and take money from us. Sometimes, some of us end up paying twice to different groups because they claim not to be working together and we have to pay them if we don’t want any trouble”.

    Further speaking, some other traders at the market made instances that during festive seasons, it is always worse because the ‘tax’ tends to increase beyond imagination and some of the traders might even get beaten.

    As regards finding solution, the Iyaloja appealed to the state government and its agencies to come to their rescue as it is battle that cannot be won alone. Her words: “We have written a lot of petitions and we are still writing to the government agencies both at local and state level to help stop the activities of the area boys. We did that during the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola and we are still doing that. We are hoping that something will be done by Governor Ambode to put an end to this problem because it has become a threat to the traders and a major setback to trading activities in the market. Even some customers who have fallen prey to these boys are scared. This  means people who would have come to patronise us would rather go to other markets.”

  • Hoodlums threaten our market, say traders

    Odiolowo/Ojuwoye Market is one of the numerous markets situated in Mushin Local Government Area in Lagos. The market is always filled with people trooping in and out to buy goods in bulk to resell or to buy in bits for consumption.  The market which opens as early as 7am and runs till evening witness the influx of people buying and selling different items.

    But with these busy activities going on in the market, the traders are faced with a major problem that has become a nightmare to them.This is the issue of the hoodlums popularly called area boys, they  trouble not only the traders but also the shoppers.

    Speaking with the Iyaloja of the market, Alhaja Mufuliat Abimbola Adebumi,who  was very bitter about the issue,she said: “One of the major problems we have in this market is the issue of the area boys that are troubling the marketers by extorting money from them on a daily basis and when they are not ready to pay, they get harassed. It is a big problem for us here”.

    A seller in the market, Mrs Sikirat Abodunrin, also complained about the activities of area boys in the market. She said it is becoming alarming and a great cause for concern to all.

    “We are always troubled by these area boys all the time as they are always taking money from us and if we don’t want to pay, they won’t allow us to sell and make our business miserable for us leaving us with any choice than to pay. They say they are collecting tax for the government but it is too much. The minimum amount they collect from us is N500 and they even tax us as high as N2,000 and above. This is too much because some of us don’t even make as much as that as gain in one week”.

    For Mr. Kelechi Martins who sells different items, it is high time Governor Akinwumi Ambode came to their rescue.  He said:  “It is not funny at all because on a daily basis, they come and take money from us. Sometimes, some of us end up paying twice to different groups because they claim not to be working together and we have to pay them if we don’t want any trouble”.

    Further speaking, some other traders at the market made instances that during festive seasons, it is always worse because the ‘tax’ tends to increase beyond imagination and some of the traders might even get beaten.

    As regards finding solution, the Iyaloja appealed to the state government and its agencies to come to their rescue as it is battle that cannot be won alone. Her words: “We have written a lot of petitions and we are still writing to the government agencies both at local and state level to help stop the activities of the area boys. We did that during the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola and we are still doing that. We are hoping that something will be done by Governor Ambode to put an end to this problem because it has become a threat to the traders and a major setback to trading activities in the market. Even some customers who have fallen prey to these boys are scared. This  means people who would have come to patronise us would rather go to other markets.”

  • One feared dead as hoodlums clash in Oshodi

    One feared dead as hoodlums clash in Oshodi

    One person was reported dead after two neighbourhood gangs clashed in Mafoluku area of Oshodi, Lagos on Wednesday night.

    The Nation learnt that the two factions were fighting over supremacy in the environment.

    The fight, which started at Ayo Motor Park, spread to Olaiya Street, Mafoluku where the hoodlums wielded guns and shot at themselves. Residents and passersby ran for safety. Shops were looted.

    An eyewitness who owns a restaurant said: “This has been on for three days now, and we have been off business since Monday.

    “Our sales are mostly at night; this is a place where people come to relax, drink and work. We have been having sleepless nights and also most of our properties have been destroyed; like cars and shops. The police came in late after a while, less movement has been on the road since yesterday and we don’t know how long this would continue.”

    Another witness, a trader said: “When this started around 6pm, I locked myself in my shop with some of my costumers and other passers-by. We watched them shooting one another; they have been on this fight for years now but these last three days have been worse. They usually have physical fight but this time around, it’s quite different. Some of my goods and properties were destroyed.”

    According to him, one man died during a fracas between two factions of tout at Keke Marwa’s park along Oshodi-Airport road, Ajao Estate.

  • Suspected hoodlums attack Air Force officer

    An Air Force officer serving at the base in Makurdi  has been assaulted by suspected hoodlums at the Airport Market. He was injured.

    A 20-year-old suspect, Godslove Emmanuel, has been arrested in connection with the attack and handed over to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), E Division Police Station.

    Narrating how the Air Force officer was attacked, the Commander, 35 Base Service Group (BSG) Headquarters, Tactical Air Command (TAC) in Makurdi, Air Commodore  Morgan Idonibo and the command spokesman, Squadron Leader Kabiru Ali, said:

    “The Air Force officer went for shopping at the popular Air Force Market located opposite Tactical Air Command (TAC) headquarters office on Makurdi-Gboko Road.

    “He was accosted by suspected miscreants (area boys), who demanded money. The officer refused to do their wish and they attacked him.”

  • Fayose disowns hoodlums attacking Ekiti residents

    Fayose disowns hoodlums attacking Ekiti residents

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has disowned those he referred to as “unscrupulous people who go about attacking innocent residents claiming that he sent them.”

    In a statement yesterday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Fayose urged security agencies to arrest anybody caught assaulting law-abiding residents dropping his name in the process.

    It reads: “We have it on good authority that the plot of these unscrupulous elements is to go about attacking notable indigenes of Ekiti State and claiming that they were sent by Governor Fayose.

    “By announcing that they were Governor Fayose’s boys, the motive of the criminals has no doubt been exposed and it cannot be anything other than to set the people against the governor.

    “We therefore wish to state categorically that Governor Fayose does not harbour criminals. He does not have boys anywhere, not to talk of sending them to attack innocent residents of Ekiti State.

    “Anyone caught attacking or assaulting residents of Ekiti State in the name of “Governor Fayose’s Boys” should be apprehended and handed over to law enforcement agents for appropriate action.”

     

  • Hoodlums attack residents

    Hoodlums attack residents

    Four residents of 28, Olorunisola Street in Mushin, Lagos, were on Sunday attacked by hoodlums.

    It was gathered that the residents were taking fresh air around 11pm when the hoodlums struck.

    A resident, Mr Hakeem Adeoye, said: “I have been living here for over 20 years and I have never witnessed such incident. I had just returned from work and decided to take fresh air with two of my friends when it happened. They were about 10 in number. They held machete and bottles. They beat us mercilessly and stole from us. It was a very horrible incident.

    “ I thought I was going to be unconscious because I lost so much blood and I couldn’t see anything. The left side of my head was cut with a machete.”

    Another victim, a Keke Marwa operator, who simply gave his name as Sir Kay, said they thought the hoodlums where coming from an event when they suddenly pounced on them.

    “I feel pains all over my body. I don’t know if they were drunk but they used 10 bottles on my head. I had just visited my brother earlier yesterday (Sunday) and he gave me N28,000. The money, my phones are gone.

    “ I couldn’t sleep because I was scared. This morning (Monday) as I stepped out of the house, I saw some touts in groups and I suspected them. I couldn’t point fingers because my life may be at stake. I plead with the government to bring neighbourhood watch to our street to prevent situations as this,” he said.

    A labourer, Olalekan Daramola, said his right arm hasn’t been the same since the incident.

    He said the men beat him with an iron, adding: “Before I could run inside the house it took me forever. None of us could escape because they were more than us. Everyone was asleep that was why it took a while before help came. We don’t know them at all. I don’t know when it became a crime to take fresh air outside one’s house. I am even scared to move out.”

    A resident, who didn’t give his name, said he suspected the hoodlums were from Paul Oguntola Street in Idi-Araba.

    “We need policemen in our neighbourhood. We are being cheated by these boys. They just harass us anyhow. The government should look into this matter,” he said.

     

     

  • Police arrest 93 hoodlums in Lagos

    Police arrest 93 hoodlums in Lagos

    The Police in Lagos have arrested 93 suspected hoodlums at Oshodi on Wednesday as it continued with its raid of criminal hideouts in the metropolis.

    A statement by the state command of the Nigeria Police Force said on Thursday said the suspects were arrested by its Rapid Respond Squad (RRS).

    The statement quoted the RRS Commander, ACP Olatunji Disu, as saying that they were arrested at about 1 a.m.

    “A special team of crack police detectives and a team of RRS Decoy operatives raided Oshodi and the surroundings under the bridge.

    “Information at our disposal revealed that some miscreants are in the habit of robbing, snatching handsets and valuables from innocent citizens at night and day time.

    “In the process, 93 suspects were apprehended. The miscreants consist of 23 juveniles all of them males, 67 adults who had their abode under the bridge and 3 underage girls.

    “The miscreants were found playing cards, smoking herbs while some were sleeping. They were all arrested and transferred to RRS office for interrogation,’’ it said.

    The statement said that on arrival at the Taskforce office, Alausa, they were rigorously screened and 20 were able to substantiate their mission at the point of arrest and means of livelihood and were released.

    “Thirty-nine who could neither convince the police nor give satisfactory account of themselves were handed over to the Taskforce for necessary action.

    “In the spirit of fundamental human rights, the ministries of women affairs and education were invited to take custody of the 23 juveniles.

    “Others have been transferred to the Lagos State Police Command for further investigation,’’ it said.

  • Hoodlums snatch judge’s briefcase

    Hoodlums snatch judge’s briefcase

    No case has been heard in Court 1 of the Ikorodu Division of the Lagos State High Court since Friday last week. Reason: Justice Olayinka Gbajabiamila was attacked after work last Thursday evening by two assailants. They took away his briefcase containing court documents.

    Sources told The Nation that Justice Gbajabiamila had closed for the day when the incident occurred.

    He was said to have been attacked as he parked his Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) at the venue of an event.

    “They attacked him just as he got out of the car and was closing the door,” the source told The Nation.”They must have been hanging around.”

    The source continued: “They were two armed men. They threatened him and took his briefcase from the car. It contained several things including files and other court documents. I don’t know if they took other things as well.”

    On the whereabouts of the judge’s orderly at the time of the attack, the source said: “Not all judges have personal orderlies that accompany them everywhere.”

    The judge was not “physically injured” but he was shaken by the experience, the source added.

    The Nation learnt further that since Friday and Monday were public holidays, all his cases since Tuesday were rescheduled by officials at Court 1of his court.

    The cause list for Tuesday showed that there were nine matters before the court: two for judgment, two for ruling, and three for mention. Two were for argument. The court does not sit on Wednesdays.

    It was not known whether the attack was connected to a judgment the honourable justice he was scheduled to give

    The judge may come today to make his quarterly returns even though the courts are on vacation.

  • Hoodlums attack APC witnesses at Ekiti Tribunal

    Hoodlums attack APC witnesses at Ekiti Tribunal

    The Ekiti State High Court complex in Ado- Ekiti, the state capital, was in chaos yesterday as suspected Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hoodlums beat up witnesses, who testified before the Election Petitions Tribunal.

    The three-man panel was hearing a petition filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate in Ekiti Central, Gbenga Olofin, who is challenging the return of Senator Fatimat Rasaki of the PDP.

    Also beaten up were Olofin’s supporters who were in court to witness the proceedings.

    Olofin closed his case after calling eight witnesses. Mrs. Rasaki opened her defence by testifying.

    A lengthy argument ensued between lawyers of both parties on the admissibility of the voter register used for the election.

    Counsel to the petitioner Yemi George argued in favour of the admissibility of the voter register but the respondent’s counsel, Jude Ogodi, opposed the motion on the grounds that it was not initially listed as an evidence.

    The Tribunal Chairman, Justice A. N. Erabor, admitted the voter register as evidence.

    But suspected hoodlums, who are mostly women, believed to be loyal to the respondent, attacked the petitioner’s witnesses and supporters.

    The suspected thugs laid ambush at the gate of the complex looking for APC members.

    Sticks, planks, horse whips, stones, broken bottles and other missiles were used by the hoodlums.

    The thugs also attacked APC loyalists outside the court.

    The tribunal judges invited Mrs. Rasaki into their chambers, where they expressed disappointment with the violence within the temple of justice.

    Justice Erabor also expressed the dismay of the panel with the violence, warning parties that the tribunal would no longer tolerate such.

    He urged parties to caution their members to always conduct themselves properly.

    Olofin expressed happiness on the admissibility of the voter register and other documents.

    The admissibility, according to him, would serve the course of justice for the two parties.

    He condemned the attack on his supporters.