Hyacinth Chinweuba
Several person sustained injuries while property worth several millions of Naira were destroyed when hoodlums unleashed terror on Satalite Town , Lagos ,at the weekend .
Already five persons have been arrested in connection with the attacks .
The thugs numbering over 100 stormed the town Saturday night demanding millions of money from shop owners and Landlords claiming that the money was to renew the ownerships of the properties .
Trouble started for the residents,especially shop owners when they refused to pay the money demanded by the thugs led by a community leader
A Police source said when the Landlords and shop owners refused to pay the money the thugs started looting and destroying houses ,including warehouses and shops.
The Divisional Police Officer, Satellite Town Police Station, CSP Chike Oti, was said to have led some policemen to dislodge the hoodlums and succeeded in arresting five suspects.
Though, the identities of those arrested were not known as at press time, but a police source at Area E Command, FESTAC Town , said that the hoodlums were being controlled by a traditional chief who had constituted himself as a lord in Satellite town.
The police source said that among properties destroyed was a warehouse situated at number 470 Old Ojo Road, as well as trucks and cars parked on the road sides .
A resident, Uche Ezeudo, said that the hoodlums numbering over 100 allegedly overpowered the police who came to rescue the victims.
According to Ezeudo, the heavily armed thugs reportedly invaded shops, especially a warehouse situated at No 470, old Ojo road, belonging to a pioneer movie- maker, Igwe Gabosky Okoye ,and looted property which included electronic sets, assorted drinks, sport equipment and many other things .
He said :”We later heard that the hoodlums were sent by a traditional ruler to destroy warehouses ,especially that of belonging to Igwe Gabosky for failing to pay him N15 million demanded as settlement for the said property.
All attempts for Gabosky to show the thugs his Federal Government valid certificate of Occupancy ( C OF O) with number 23/23/77 registered at Federal land registry, Lagos in 1995 fell on deft ears”.
However, Gabosky Okoye has lamented that all efforts he made to alert the police of planned attack on his warehouse , failed because the gang has been terrorising not only residents of the community and environs ,but security agents too.
According to him,” the thugs looted shops, extorted money, snatched bags and phones in broad daylight . At night the thugs transformed into armed robbery gangs attacking motorists ,passersby and pulling down houses, including my warehouse.They looted over N50 million worth of goods in my warehouse.
“In fact, they are a cultists as well as a terrorist group which if not checked , will be worse than Boko – Haram terrorist group in the near future. They have seized various properties from owners whicch they use as enclaves for the large number of thugs, armoury for their weapons and burial grounds for their unlucky victims.
” I am appealing to the State Commissioner of Police Mr Zubairu Muazu ,to do something drastic as the combined teams of policemen from Area E Command cannot march the large number of the thugs .What we need in the area is Mobile Police Force .We are in for trouble .
” Commercial motorcycle operators, tanker drivers , and commercial bus drivers are afraid of them as they unleashed mayhem on any one who dares them. Business owners in satellite and environs are at their mercy. The thugs said to be from one family in satellite town can invade any business premises or residential property and demand for any amount and give the occupants a time frame to pay or face the consequences of not paying or delay in payment” he stated.
It was further learnt that last week, a team of over 100 policemen carried out a special operation in the area with a view to arresting the thugs in the area ,but they were openly confronted and even held hostage for hours by the heavily armed thugs.