A father of two was shot dead and three girls raped on Sunday morning after over 20 armed robbers stormed several streets at Isale-Oja area of Agege in Lagos State.
The daredevil robbers, who started their operation from Capitol Road, raided over 30 buildings in different areas, dispossessing victims of valuables.
Residents of some of the streets attacked said the robbers operated unchallenged for hours.
They said they called the police, but no policeman didn’t show up until after the robbers left.
A resident said that the father of two, Usman Muhammed, 30, would have still been alive if not that he attempted to stab one of the robbers.
One of the bandits shot him.
The bullet, which killed Muhammed, hit a lady in the compound.
The lady, identified simply as Rabi, is presently battling to stay alive in a private hospital.
A resident said: “The robbers, numbering over 20, stormed the streets in commercial buses and started operation from Capitol Road. The robbers killed Muhammed after collecting N32,000 from him. They moved to Akerele and Papa Uku Streets in the same community where they raped and robbed residents.”
The widow of Muhammad, Hauwa, recalled the last moment of her husband.
She said: “At about 12:24am, we heard someone knocking on our door. We were surprised. My husband asked who was there, but the person didn’t answer. My husband went and opened the door. He saw the armed robbers. They were four at the door. One of them pointed his gun at my husband. We later heard that others were outside, waiting. They followed my husband into our apartment.”
Hauwa explained that after the bandits gained entry into their apartment, they demanded for Muhammed’s money and Hauwa’s jewelries.
Hauwa said: “My husband and I handed over the money and the jewelries. Just as they were leaving, my husband dashed into the kitchen, brought a knife and attempted to stab one of the robbers. It was at that point they shot him in the stomach.”
The shooting of Muhammed took place in the corridor of the compound.
The bullet killed Muhammed and also hit Rabi, who was inside her apartment.
Another resident said: “We rushed Muhammed to two private hospitals in the community, but he was rejected. He died on the way to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.”
The residents urged the state government to do something about security of the area.
Kunle Idowu, a resident of Papa Uku Street, said: “The robbers robbed somewhere at Capitol Road before coming into our street. My house is close to the main road. The robbers were fully armed and came prepared. They called names of prominent people in the community. They said they came to collect what belonged to them. We couldn’t sleep. It was like a war zone. Every tenant lost one or two of their valuables.
“Three of our girls in the community were raped when the robbers couldn’t get anything from their parents. Government should come to our rescue. We can’t walk freely at night.”
A resident of Akerele Street said he was angry with the police.
According to him, when they got wind that the robbers were around, they quickly called the phone number of the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Isoko Police Station, but the police didn’t come until the robbers left.
When the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joe Offor, was contacted to confirm the story, he said he was not aware of the incident.