Residents of the Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area have appealed for urgent intervention following two separate night invasions by armed youth gangs that have heightened fears over the safety of lives and property in the community.
It was
gathered that the latest attack, which occurred on Saturday, July 4, 2026, left
at least one person hospitalised with severe machete wounds and came barely a
week after a similar violent incident in the area.
Residents
said the latest invasion occurred at about 9:30pm on Alimi Oka Street, where a
large group of underage boys marched through the community, openly brandishing
cutlasses, machetes and broken bottles, forcing residents indoors.
Speaking
with the media, a resident identified simply as Rasheedat said the community
had endured repeated attacks believed to be linked to cult groups or political
thugs.
“They
usually come at night and terrorise residents. This is not the first time, and
I think it will continue if proper security measures are not put in place.
“Some
people say they are political thugs; others believe they are cult groups.
Something needs to be done as fast as possible,” she said.
Also
speaking, a community leader, Elder Fatai Bammore, called for sustained police
presence in the area to prevent hoodlums from recruiting local youths to foment
trouble.
“It is
on this note that people are crying out. Oshodi is usually like this during the
electioneering period,” Bammore said.
Before
the July 4 attack, another major incident occurred near the Orile Oshodi Bus
Stop along Oshodi Road just before 11pm on Sunday, June 28, 2026.
According
to eyewitnesses, a gang of masked youths stormed the area, attacked passersby
and disrupted traffic.
One of
the eyewitnesses, Adewale, who narrowly escaped the assault after stepping out
of a nearby compound, recalled how the attack unfolded.
“The
bus pointed its headlights at them. To our surprise, these guys didn’t leave
the road because they were armed with cutlasses, broken bottles and guns.
Immediately after they saw the light, there was a gunshot,” he said.
Adewale
said the attackers mistook him for a vigilante or security operative and began
chasing him through the neighbourhood.
“In
fact, the gunshot was targeted right at me, but I managed to escape the bullet.
They started throwing broken bottles at me. I could hear the sound of bottles
smashing behind me as I ran,” he added.
He
said he eventually escaped by slipping through a small gate near a local
food-vending area and locking it behind him.
Frustrated
that he had escaped, the gang allegedly turned on other people nearby.
“An
innocent bystander cornered by the gang was brutally attacked,” Adewale said.
Residents
said the victim suffered deep machete cuts across his back and was rushed to a
nearby hospital for treatment.
The
attackers were also said to have forced their way into a residential building
within the compound while searching for Adewale.
A
female resident, Chima, recounted the terrifying experience.
“They
entered right into our house, asking, ‘Where is he? Where is the person?’ God
saved me because I was smart enough to keep shouting at those boys, ‘Nobody
entered here! I’m a lady, I’m a woman, I’m not a man!’ That was what saved me;
otherwise, they would have dealt with me too.”
It was
gathered that the incident was reported at the Makinde Police Station the
following morning.
The
spokesperson for the state police command, Abimbola Adebisi, had yet to comment
on the residents’ call.
However,
the command announced the arrest of 135 suspected cultists and the recovery of
26 firearms during coordinated raids on criminal hideouts across the state
ahead of the annual July 7 cult-related activities.
It was
not immediately clear whether those arrested included the suspects accused of
terrorising the Oshodi community.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment