Residents of Ajah along the Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos said incessant robbery attacks around the Ilaje Bus Stop have risen to a frightening level.
In broad daylight, robbers attack pedestrians and motorists with machetes, broken bottles and guns, Saturday PUNCH was told.
It was learnt that on Monday, May 4, 2015, an unidentified man standing on the side of the road to board a bus at the Ilaje Bus Stop was shot dead during a siege by a robbery gang who reportedly also attacked a number of passersby.
A resident, Adebayo Adeseyi, told our correspondent that before killing the victim, the robbers had attacked, injured and robbed a number of other people.Adeseyi said, “The bus stop is always crowded, so they might be robbing and one may not even know. No one dares to shout because the robbers are always armed.
“That night, the robbers, who were five in number, operated for close to one hour and as soon as they shot the man, they entered a vehicle and fled. I heard he was shot because he was resisting them.”
Our correspondent, who visited the area, was told that many passengers who alighted at the bus stop also fell victim of the attack.
One of such people, Mr. Stephen Zegeshima, told Saturday PUNCH that he nearly lost his life that day around 9.20pm.
Zegeshima said, “I did not know there was any robbery attack going on at the bus stop at the time a bus I boarded from work dropped me there.
“I alighted and crossed to the other side of the road and waited there so I could take another bus that would take me to Badore.
“A couple of boys crossed to my side but I did not think anything of it when they were approaching me. As soon as they got to me, they did not even ask me anything, they just beat me and used cutlass to inflict injuries on my head and my buttocks.
“When they had subdued me and I was lying on the ground with blood coming out of different parts of my body, they then riffled through my pocket and took my phone and the N18,500 I had on me.”
Zegeshima was rushed to the Lekki Peninsula Hospital where he spent one week on admission.
Even though the attack on Zegeshima took place in the middle of the night, some residents told our correspondent that most attacks in the area often take place in broad day light.
A resident, Shade Oladapo, told our correspondent that few weeks ago while she was driving home from work, she witnessed a young man being attacked by two robbers in the glare of motorists and passersby.
She said, “It was like a movie. The young man had a bag on his shoulder and was waiting for a bus on the side of the road and the two men tried to drag the bag away from him.
“He must have been surprised by the audacity of the robbers as he also resisted. But one of the robbers started to slap his face very hard until they successfully robbed him.
“There was nothing anybody could do. Motorists looked on as passersby who were nearby simply fled to the other side of the road and watched.”
Mayowa Olanrewaju witnessed a similar attack in the same location. She said the robbers simply flashed the victim a gun and told him to hand over his phone and wallet.
The PUNCH had a number of times reported cases of violent clashes between youths in Ajah and the Ilaje settlement, which have become a regular occurrence in the area. Residents believe that the hoodlums responsible for the clashes are the ones who carry out the incessant robbery attacks.
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