Armed thugs chase monarch, residents from Lagos community

Tension is high in Igbokuta town following the activities of  armed thugs in the area.
The suspected thugs, who have been unleashing terror on the residents, have succeeded in chasing the monarch, Tajudeen Nosiru of Igbokuta, and the people from the town.

Also schools and shops have been shut down, while other activities in Igbokuta have been grounded following the invasion by the armed thugs numbering more than 100.
The monarch, hiding in an undisclosed location, has called on the Lagos State Government and the police to address the insecurity and lawlessness in the town.
The monarch, in a petition through his counsel, Omotubura and Omotubura Chambers, is appealing to the acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to intervene and save his domain from the terror group.
The petition is titled: “Robbery, unlawful possession of firearms, threat to life and property, promoting acts of terrorism, armed invasion of our communities, assault occasioning grievous harm and conducts likely to cause breach of public peace in Igbokuta Lagos State.”
The petition alleged that land grabbers are behind the unrest in the town.
It called on the IGP to investigate “Chief Sikiru Jimoh Atiba, Rashid Alayande Akano aka Achebe, Michael Akinrele, Ismaila Alowonle Sosanya, Joseph Akinrele, Skido, Ganiu Osunloye, Musa Lasisi, Oba Akanbi Gbolahan Timson of Bariga, Jamiu Sanusi and others responsible for the restiveness in Igbokuta.”
The embattled traditional ruler said the community had been under attack since July 2008 when the thugs started the mayhem in his domain despite a court order restraining them.
Nosiru said in the petition: “My subjects and I  have not returned to  Igbokuta in spite of an Ikorodu High Court judgment in my favour. That is why we are appealing to the IGP to rescue us from the thugs. Since 3rd July, 2008, some gangs of heavily armed persons fronting for those persons I mentioned earlier attacked us with guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons leaving many of us with various degrees of fatal injuries and properties worth over N300,000,000 vandalised. As I speak with you those who purchased lands from us have been chased off their properties and these land grabbers have taken over our land.”
The monarch also indicted the police in the crisis rocking the town, stating: “The matter was reported to the Lagos State Police Command, but the thugs have not been arrested. Also, we reported in various police stations  including the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Lagos, Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, the Federal Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos and the petition also  forwarded to the Inspector General of Police, Force Headquarters, Abuja. The indicted persons are left to be causing  more havoc.
“Despite our strenuous efforts to ensure that the aforementioned persons are brought to book, they have continued to escape the long arm of the law till date, due to their connections with some police officers, and so courtesy these policemen, they enjoy a high degree of protection and patronage in the conduct of their criminal and unlawful acts.
“The judgment of the High Court of Lagos State in Suit No: IKD/32/2008 and the execution of the same on the 20th May, 2010 to dislodge the aforementioned elements from the village, and upon which our Clients returned to their homes in peace but these hired armed thugs continued to carry out intermittent attacks, inflicting injuries on them, and destroying their properties in the process, and though the matter was again reported to the police in various police formations, it could not attract any listening ear, nor gain any attention due to the high level of corruption that has made investigative efforts touted by the Police who are cronies of the aforementioned assailants fruitless.
“I am saying without apology that they are achieving their clandestine activities with the active connivance and participation of one Supol Kuye and (2) Inspector Kash both attached to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU), Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House Abuja who were in Ikorodu, Lagos State at the said time, and personally supervised the said invasion of Igbokuta village by the aforementioned persons and their thugs.”