Hyacinth Chinweuba
Some persons, including truck drivers were injured while many shops and trucks were looted and torched, yesterday, when suspected armed thugs invaded Vinager and Abule-Ado areas in Satellite town, Lagos.
The incident, which paralyzed business activities’ in the area led to the temporary closure of banks and other business interest while residents of the area fled.
Trouble started early Tuesday when the suspected thugs said to have been recruited from Benin Republic by a suspected terrorist gang with base at Oguntade village in Old Ojo road, Satellite town, invaded shops and residential areas demanding money forcefully from people.
Eyewitness narrated that the thugs who were heavily armed with sophisticated weapons were shooting sporadically to scare their targets mostly, truck drivers.
They reportedly succeeded in breaking into homes and carting away valuables after which they subjected their victims to thorough beatings.
Unconfirmed report said some people that tried to resist their onslaught were shot while others were seriously wounded.
The thugs who were said to be masked were also making burn fires with used tyres while at the same time attacking truck drivers who refused to be extorted and damaging their vehicles.
One of their victims, Ibrahim Muhammed told newsmen that they attacked them where they parked their trucks midnight on Tuesday and started demanding for money.
According to him, they are members of a notorious gang that have been unleashing mayhem in Vianger, Abule-Ado and Mile2 areas for long time.
“They clashed with truck drivers who were carrying out their legitimate businesses last week and wounded many of us. Some of our members were also killed during the clash when we resisted their attempt to forcefully extort money from us. They have been doing this for long and all efforts to make the police help us have failed. Their major target are members of the National Union of Petroleum and natural Gas Workers, NUPPENG, and they have made life very difficult for us all.
“We have lost millions of naira and many trucks each time they struck. They are laws unto themselves and they boast openly that nobody including police and army can stop them from extorting, looting, maiming and killing people in the area. They attack with all kinds of dangerous weapons inclusing stones which they carry in wheel barrows and bottles,” he stated.
When Oriental News Nigeria visited the area around 3.30 pm yesterday, the whole places were deserted while shops and business outlets remained closed. Many truck drivers abandoned their vehicles and took to their heels while major roads were blocked with burn fires still smoldering. Skeletal police presence was noticed from a distance while efforts to speak with few people seen hidden in make-shift shops failed.
Ateam of policemen from Satellite division earlier came to the scene when the thugs were carrying out the operation but later left.
Sources said that they were forced to leave the scene after noticing the superior fire power of the thugs.
When contacted, Lagos State police spokesman, Bala Elkana did not pick his calls: “