Festering Trouble For Dapo Abiodun As Burglars, Robbers Gradually Take Over Ogun State At Night

Charles Oyelesi

Barely out of the challenges thrown his way with the distribution of relief packages to alleviate the living of the vulnerable during the lockdown to stem the spread of Covid-19 in Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun is staring at a more serious crisis – growing insecurity.

Societynow.ng gathered that burglars and robbers are threatening the peace of residents at night.

And many are resorting to self-help not to fall victim to the daring thieves in this trying time.

Societynow.ng’s probe into the situation began with an alarming post by Facebook user ‘’Joke Onitolo’’ that screamed ‘’ Pls (Please)our people at ifo, iyana-ilogbo, sango (Ogun State) are under attack by the kesari boys..’’

The post was made on April 8 at about 11.40 p.m and people who could call the attention of the government were tagged (Dayo Rufai and Omooba Damilare Oloyede).

Comments under the post confirmed the alarm with Facebook user Dayo Badmus (a journalist) affirming that ‘’…I live in Ifo…Vigil in the last 3days’’.

Subsequent comments on the thread revealed policemen were later drafted to handle the situation on that particular day.

But the recent checks made by societynow.ng revealed the situation is getting worse.

‘’Robbers are giving us a hell of a time at night, we have now resorted to the self-help of doing vigilante (night watch in groups) to protect ourselves and our properties, my friends in Ifo, Sango and other places say they face the same situation’’ a source in Ota stated.

Societynow.ng gathered that it is the same scenario in other parts of the state, and the state capital – Abeokuta.

A source in Abeokuta stated ‘’Those boys are really disturbing us at night, the situation is not good. The other day someone called into a radio program that some thugs stormed Elega market (Abeokuta North) and seized foodstuffs from the market women. if they do that in broad daylight, imagine what they will do at night’’

Societynow.ng gathered that victims of the robbers claim their assailants attribute the attacks to hunger.

‘’Some of the thieves are said to come with POS machines (Point Of Sale) to take money from victims without cash at hand with their credit cards, that is how desperate they are’’ societynow.ng learned.

Societynow.ng gathered that the rising insecurity is quietly boosting another wave of resentment against Governor Abiodun – and his administration – over the inability to protect the residents.

‘’We understand that the government cannot provide food for everybody but leaving us at the mercy of charlatans, unable to help us protect the little we rely on to see us through this period from thieves is a big minus for the state and governor as the Chief executive officer of the state’’ a resident stated.

The checks by societynow.ng also revealed a more damning emerging scenario – the increase in the use of arms.

Insiders disclosed that to scare away the robbers and burglars, the night watch keeping residents employ arms-bearing members of groups such as Oodua People’s Congress, Vigilante Association and even hunters to boost their self help security efforts.

‘’But the backlash of this effort is that the more determined robbers also scale up their form of attack ad it is just a matter of time before frequent clashes result in loss of lives, jungle justice and all the attractions of a breakdown of law and order if the government does not step in decisively’’ societynow.ng learned.

Societynow.ng gathered that Governor Abiodun is been blamed for the rising insecurity by a growing number of people and the central theme of the assertion against him is put into context by a source ‘’The governor and his people should have foreseen and prepared for this. Movements are restricted and many sources of income taken away, that there is a strong likelihood of an increase in crime is a no brainer and measures to curtail it put in place, but as usual with this government, it reacts to rather than prevent situations’’.