CITIZENS COMPASS — DARE-devil armed robbers invaded Owalla community in Ibadan, Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State yesterday.
Sporadic gunshots rent the air as the robbers were fully on ground.
Three people were seriously injured during the attack.
The robbers swooped on the community at about 2:45a.m., and started breaking windows and burglaries of buildings with dangerous weapons.
Though men of the Western Nigeria Security Network codenamed Amotekun responded early to the distress call made by a chairman of the landlord association in the area, who preferred anonymity, the hoodlums had attacked two houses leaving some people injured.
When our correspondent visited the scene of the robbery, broken pieces of louvers were seen on the floors of the two houses they attacked.
According to information gathered from the victims, the robbers jumped over the fence before they started breaking the windows.
She said: “When they came, they ordered us to open the door.,which we refused to do. Then, they started banging the windows and burglaries with a sledgehammer until they forced it open. They covered their faces and we knew some of them were outside.
“They hit two men with the butt of their rifles and hit another woman on her face. One of the victims was said to have gone to the police station at Ologuneru to lodge a complaint.
“If not that security men responded on time, they would have wreaked more havoc. The security men came through a nearby community, Akatapa. That was when they ran away.”
A woman police, who was not authorised to speak, said: “I called my colleagues and they came. The robbers fled the scene but came back again when they knew security men had gone. Thank God the police came back when another distress call was made.”
A source claimed that robbers have been on rampage in Ologuneru and its environs.
“Just a day ago, they came to Adeosun and Apete areas, where they dispossessed people of their property,” the source said.
Vanguard further gathered that invasion of robbers in the community has been a yearly ritual, which happens when the year was winding up.
“At times, they write letters threatening to visit places in the community. They paste the letters on walls in conspicuous places so that people can see.
“The government should please help us to strengthen security in this area. Cases of robbery are too rampant,” he said.
–Vanguard
