Published 8th Oct, 2022

Residents of the Ojota/Ogudu area of Lagos State have lamented frequent police raids and arrests.

They told FIJ that policemen attached to the Ojota police station regularly raid the area in vans to arrest residents, causing panic and pandemonium in the process.

Abiola Ogunleti, a resident, on Monday, told FIJ that police raids had been ongoing for three weeks between the hours of 7 pm and 1 am.

He said, “For like three weeks now, they have been raiding back to back. In the past three days, they raided in the afternoon and in broad daylight.

“People who sell food at night often get arrested. People can’t send young children on errands without the fear of them getting arrested.

“Recently, we went for a naming ceremony. After we left, we learnt that the police raided the area at about 7 pm and arrested boys at the event. That is no longer security. We’re not supposed to be scared of the police. Are they not supposed to secure us?

“It is no longer raiding for security, it is extortion. Business owners and youths are complaining.

“I have had to go to the police station to bail people multiple times.”

Residents visited the station last week, but when they got there, the DPO was unavailable.

During one of FIJ’s interactions with Ogunleti, he informed our reporter that the police had arrived again. He made a short clip of residents and shop owners scampering into shelters as the police vehicles arrived.

FIJ called Benjamin Hundeyin, spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, for comments, and he said he would look into the matter.

He, however, said that some residents complained of crime in the area and police often patrol around midnight, but some “overzealous policemen” go on raids during earlier times.

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