Nine hoodlums who wrecked havoc among the residents of Amukoko, Alaba and Ijora areas of Lagos State have been rounded up and arraigned arraigned before an Ebute-Meta Magistrates’ Court on Monday, July 27, 2015.
It was learnt that the suspects whose age range was between 18 and 30 were reportedly arrested on Wednesday, June 10, 2015.
They include Wasiu Jamiu, Habeeb Isiaka, Toheeb Azeez, Samson Kareem, Ganiyu Azeez, Segun Ajibola, Kayode Arogundade, Sodiq Azeez, Gbolagade Adeyemi and others now at large.
The gang led by one Tayo, aka Innocent and Habeeb Isiaka, aka Eleran started their attacks in the last quarter of 2014.
Speaking to Punch about the attacks, a resident, who identified himself simply as Rauf, said that problem started in the area after politicians shared money to street guys which stirred superiority battles among the hoodlums in the area.
He said, “These people started their trouble last year after politicians gave them money. Then, they started to have issues about which group was superior to the others. They began to attack one another and prevented residents from going about their business as usual.
“They started to attack residents. If you were not from a particular street, they would take your belongings and even injure you.”
Two persons identified as Chinwendu Israel and Musa Bakare were shot in the legs by the gang members during one of their attacks.
A police source whose identity was not disclosed said, “These people also killed residents in the area, but the victims never reported the cases because the suspects threatened that they would deal with them if they did.”
He added that efforts were being made to track down the gang leader, Tayo, who was said to have absconded to Ibadan.
The suspects were arraigned on four counts which bordered on robbery and infliction of injuries.
The charges read in part, “That you, Wasiu Jamiu, Habeeb Isiaka, Toheeb Azeez, Samson Kareem, Ganiyu Azeez, Segun Ajibola, Kayode Arogundade, Sodiq Azeez, Gbolagade Adeyemi and others now at large on June 10, 2015, at about 10.30pm on Onisun Road, Ebute-Meta, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, while armed with locally-made guns, cutlass and some weapons, did cause bodily harm to one Monsurat Bakare, 11, and her younger brother, Musa Bakare, 4, by shooting them in the leg and other parts of the body, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 228 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
Their pleas were rejected before the magistrate, Miss. K. A. Ariyo, ordered that they be remanded in prison custody pending the arrival of the Directorate of Public Prosecution’s advice.
The matter was adjourned till Thursday, August 27, 2015.
