Operation lasted four hours, say residents
AS usual, the office had been rather very busy on Monday for Akintolu Emmanuel, a banker.
What with the almost-unending surge of customers and the gridlock on the way to his Bola Ayeni Street home in the Papa Ashafa area of Dopemu, Lagos mainland, the man was understandably tired.
He got home at last only to find the entire street in darkness, as there was no public power supply.
He then decided to rest awhile outside before turning in and did not know when he dozed off only to be violently shaken awake by some men wearing masks who calmly identified themselves as robbers and ordered him to lead them to his room.
The time was about 1am on Monday night and marked the beginning of a four-hour nightmare for residents of about 60 houses on the street who were methodically and violently robbed for about four hours.
Residents of the street lamented that throughout their ordeal, the police did not show up, their calls to police stations on the emergency lines notwithstanding.
One of the residents who spoke to The Guardian on condition of anonymity narrated their ordeal in the hands of men of the underworld:
“ The robbers took their time as if they knew nobody was coming to help us. It was like a play when they came and started their operation from the first house on the street, where Akintolu rented a one-room apartment.”
“The armed men divided themselves into groups and came all the way down the street, one house after the other down to the end.”
“They asked for cash, jewelleries and other portable valuable items and woe betide anyone who did not have something tangible to give.”
“Such unfortunate victims were mercilessly beaten and I think that was why a young man, Sunday Orih was killed at No. 16.
“It is a very terrible thing that for four hours, armed robbers seized our street, and not even one policeman showed up despite the many calls residents made. Our lives are in danger because there is no protection from the police anymore”, the resident said.

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I am not surprised at all and who knows, the Police around that vicinity might be aware that the men of the underworld were operating. The only thing they know is to collect bribe, blow siren and sleep on duty. Little wonder why soldiers deal with them at the slightest provocation.