SOME community leaders in Isawo area of Ikorodu, Lagos State, have urged government to clear the creeks in the area, saying this would check kidnappings and other violent crimes.
Residents of the creeks bordering Lagos and Ogun states told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday that criminals were using the areas as hideouts and operational bases.
Two suspects arrested in connection with the kidnapping of eight students and staff at the Nigerian-Turkish International College in Ogun State confessed to using the Mawere creek for their operations.
According to the Baale of Oke-Oko Isawo, near Ikorodu, Chief Musediku Ibrahim-Ayinla, many of the kidnappers operating in Lagos and Ogun states were hiding in Mawere creek.
“They were involved in NNPC pipeline vandalism before the military forced them out of Isawo in Ikorodu.
“Since they do not have access to pipelines any longer, they resorted to kidnapping people and moved to Mawere creek in Ogun. From that creek, they can operate anywhere.
“The main threat to Lagos and Ogun States is Mawere creek; that is where the militants are hiding now.
“And if the government wants to check kidnappings and robberies, all the creeks in the area should be cleared,” the community leader said.
Chief Ibrahim-Ayinla commended the joint military task force for flushing out militants from Isawo area of Ikorodu, saying that it had gone a long way in making the area safe from the activities of criminals.
The traditional leader also urged the Lagos State government to fulfil its promise to construct a new road to link Isawo with the Lagos-Ibadan highway in order to open up and bring development to the area.
Also, a community leader in Mawere, Oke-Oko in Ogun State, Chief Taiwo Adisa, corroborated Ibrahim-Ayinla’s position, urging government to clear the creeks harbouring criminals in the area.
The chairman of commercial motorcycle operators in Isawo, Mr Fatai Azeez, said violent crimes had reduced drastically in the areas cleared by the Lagos State government last year.
“One thing the government must do to ensure safety in Ikorodu area is to clear all the creeks housing the militants,” Azeez said.
NAN reported that more than 50 people lost their lives during clashes between the militants and residents of Isawo near Ikorodu last year, leading to the deployment of troops to the area.
NAN also reports that some parts of the creeks leading to Arepo in Ogun, notorious for pipeline vandalism, were cleared by the state government last year.
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