The peaceful Freeman and Borno streets in the Oyingbo area of Lagos state was badly disturbed by the influx of some teenage armed robbers who looted shops in the area and injured traders.
According to Punch Metro, an unidentified group of teenage armed robbers attacked the Freeman and Borno streets in the Oyingbo area of Lagos state on Saturday, 1st of August at 3pm in the afternoon during which they injured some traders and looted shops in the area. The robbers, with an age range of 15-20 stormed the area armed with cutlasses and knives.
These young bandits numbering 30 according to the traders went to Old Apapa Road, Oyingbo and killed three people with their weapons. They ordered the traders to leave their shops and the disobedient traders were stabbed. The squad according to Punch Metro correspondents were led by one notorious boy named Idris Aloma, who was said to be based in the Sawmill, Okobaba area.
One of the traders, Bolaji Olumofe, told reporters that one of his workers was injured and was currently receiving treatment in a hospital.
Olumofe said:“The boys were no fewer than 30. Most of them wore white shirts. They had cutlasses and guns with them. They stormed the streets, and started entering shops at will.
“They attacked traders and workers. One of the workers is being treated in a hospital as we speak. They stole television sets and handsets. It was a daylight robbery.
“These boys were in three factions. One of the factions claimed to be mourning one of their leaders who was killed on Thursday. The second faction came later to Borno Way and attacked traders there too.
“The onslaughts happened for about 30 minutes. The teenagers went towards Freeman Street, shooting and daring residents to come out. The policemen from Denton division later came, but the hoodlums had fled.”
A trader claimed she lost as much as N300,000. Others claimed the attacks from the set of bandits is not new in the area as the police keeps arresting them and releasing them on bail. Normalcy is beginning to return to the streets but some shops are still locked.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Patricia Amadin, confirmed the incident.
She added that four suspects had been arrested in connection with the violence. They are in the custody of the Area C Police Command, Surulere.