In this report OLALEKAN OLABULO writes that the situation in Ishawo community after the recent militants’ attack has broken the relative peace of the community making residents to flee.
THE Yewa community in Isawo area of Ikorodu in Lagos State has in the last one year been at the mercy of suspected kidnappers who visited terror on residents. Several residents have been killed in the multiple raids during which many others were also abducted and ransom paid in some cases.
Both the federal and the Lagos State governments had responded to calls from residents while the military had deployed massive air raids on the criminals’ hideout. The military also extended the operation to Arepo and Ofada axis, where militants also held sway.
For over three weeks the operation lasted several militants were reportedly killed. Others who were dislodged escaped from the creeks while the military later moved in and dismantled the shanties that served as their abode.
Soon after, residents of Isawo heaved a sigh of relief granted by the military operation, but it was a short respite. Three weeks ago the militants stormed the community again, killing four policemen, two soldiers, including a captain and a resident of the area. Shocked that the militants could return after the military operations, many residents have been forced to abandon their homes again.
Even the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, miffed at the turn of events, proffered a drastic solution. Speaking with a Deputy Inspector General of police, Foluso Adebanjo, during a courtesy call at his Iga Iduganran palace, Oba Akiolu advised that the only solution to the unending activities of the militants is to establish a Mobile Police Force base or military barracks in the communities.
A resident of Igbo Olomu who simply identified himself as Olansile ,while speaking with the Sunday Tribune said “many of them (militants) have been here since the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan but they were not known to abduct people in any of these communities. They were pipeline vandals. They sell petroleum products, even to some residents who resell.
“Things took a new turn immediately after the pipeline contracts awarded to the OPC and the Niger Delta militants expired and the federal government failed to renew it. It all started when military men, which included soldiers and naval officers were drafted to the area,” Olansile said adding that “there is one thing that has been happening for long now. Each time a top member of the militants’ hierarchy is killed, there was always a bloody retaliation and it had always left us worse than before.”
Another resident of Ola Inukan area of Isawo, Olanrewaju Raheem, while speaking with the Sunday Tribune stated that more and more residents of the Lagos community are relocating. Raheem also stated that the residents of Yewa and other parts of Igbo Olomu desire a permanent end to the menace of the militants.
Raheem, while speaking on the latest attack from the militants said that they (militants) had come to abduct some residents, which caught the security operatives unaware. The security operatives had, while trying to free the abductees engaged the militants in a fierce gun duel which reportedly lasted for more than two hours.
Another resident who pleaded anonymity while speaking with the Sunday Tribune said “it is a very difficult situation. We need the attention of the federal government. This is more than what the police can handle alone. Not even the deployment of some security men has helped the situation. These people are die-hard criminals.”
Continuing he said: “The people who have remained here are doing so because many of them do not want to return to rented apartments. Some of them are afraid of being referred to as former landlords. The security situation here needs urgent and drastic steps.”
Meanwhile Sunday Tribune has gathered that as part of the efforts of the residents to ensure the security of their lives and properties, they engaged local vigilante men. That move restored relative peace to the area until the latest attack.
A senior police officer, who pleaded anonymity while x-raying the security situation in Ishawo told the Sunday Tribune: “Let me confess to you. I am always very reluctant to send my men to that area. It (the solution) should purely be a military operation.”
The police chief also added that “the terrain there is not for the police. Our men are not trained to operate under such atmosphere and it will be unfair to draft them for operation in the creeks.
“There is a need to constantly ensure an air raid of the creeks. By doing so, the nooks and crannies of the creeks would have been surveyed for smooth ground operation. You don’t just invade the creek and think of dislodging the militants like that,” the police chief said adding that “these people have made a lot of money. They have acquired sophisticated weapons. Unless a proper and continuous air raid is ensured, the operation may not be successful.”
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni recently led a team of policemen from the Special Anti Robbery Squad, Rapid Response Squad and the Marine Police to the Majidun – Isawo creeks, where thirteen suspected militants were arrested.
CP Owoseni, while speaking with newsmen during the police invasion of the creek said: “So far, so good; following the attack that occurred at Ishawo where we lost four of our policemen and an army captain, we have deployed operatives in the waters…
“What you have seen now is for us to appraise what we have been doing for the past one week. So, quality arrests have been made and we are talking to them because, we believe that we would get some evidential value from them. So they are talking to us; at least that makes us to know who we are looking for so that we won’t be just wild-catching.”
The Lagos police boss also stated after the invasion that “they (police) were able to get to the proper camps of these criminal elements where they saw some of them cooking food, who fled immediately they saw the combined team.”
He also stated that “We just feel that we should take a decision to destroy the camps. The destruction of the camps is ongoing, that is why we are here and the officers that are handling the destruction of the camps, they are right inside the creeks now and at the end of the day, they would share the story as they finish that operation. Our movement here is just for you to see the terrain and see what the security operatives are facing with regards to policing this environment and that is why we are clamouring for the destruction of these shanties.
“The 13 suspects we have, we are interrogating them and they are making useful statements for us and we are making progress and you can see that helicopter surveillance is also supporting all what we are doing, but we want to assure members of the public around this axis that the government is ready, the security agents are ready to ensure that we put an end to the madness of these criminal elements,” Owoseni said.
The police boss also commended the synergy of the combined efforts of the security operatives, just as he added that the efforts of the local vigilante groups who are familiar with the terrain was critical to the operation especially in helping to navigate the hideouts of the criminals.
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