When Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on October 21, 2020, decried attacks on police formations across Lagos State by mischief makers and hoodlums, the then Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the state’s police command foresaw security threats and operational challenges for the force.
Adejobi, while lamenting the infiltration of the #EndSARS protests by these hoodlums who took advantage of the situation to burn and destroy over 10 police structures and buildings, said at the time that the command would need to commit more to patrols and rebuilding.
He said, “The implication of this is that money that has been set aside to do other projects and develop certain areas will have to be channelled into repairing these damaged stations.
“Also, it will make our work harder now because we will have to enhance our patrols in order to cover more grassroots areas that are normally covered by the burnt stations before.”
His verdict and fears were a worrisome mix for Lagosians living in areas where the police was ‘weakened’, and 12 months after, it begs the question – how have Lagos residents fared 365 days after the attacks?
FIJ visited some of the affected stations for updates on renovations and and the state of security.
CAR-JACKING, BREAK-INS THREATEN ALADE RESIDENTS
On October 21, 2020, hoodlums attempted to gain entry into the Alade Division, but police resistance forced them to go through the market situated right beside the station.
The mob, intent on burning the station, eventually burnt both the Alade Division and the Alade market, creating losses in tens of millions of naira, and an unmissable scar in the heart of Shomolu. Both structures are yet to recover.
Residents, speaking on condition of anonymity, told FIJ that following the razing of the Alade police station, the area had become notorious for car-jacking and break-ins.
Due to the nearness of houses to roads here, vehicle owners lack parking spaces within their residences, and are forced to park their vehicles on the roads, leaving them vulnerable to car-jackers who would steal anything from gearboxes to side mirrors to even the entire vehicle.
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Houses were also being burgled regularly; however, that occurrence has since declined following the relocation of the police division.
Adedapo Oduguwa, Shomolu Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman, told FIJ that there had been security meetings with the police command and the state government to discuss security threats.
“House break-ins have reduced from about five affected houses in a week to two houses in a month, but what they do is, when you park your vehicle out, ‘they’ remove some things there,” he told FIJ. “Sometimes in the morning, when people are going to work between 5am and 5:30am, ‘they’ snatch their bags.”
He said the area used to enjoy policing from the Alade police division, Onipanu police divisional headquarters and the Shomolu police divisional headquarters, but while the first two suffered arson, Shomolu’s unaffected station is closer to Bariga than it is to Alade.
Oduguwa, however, praised the police’s quick reaction to rebuild the Onipanu station and relocating Alade station. He said although hoodlums had destroyed some operational vehicles of the Alade police, they were still able to address distress calls in recent time.
“Two vehicles were burnt last year (when hoodlums infiltrated the protests), but the former DPO was brave enough to drive one to Shomolu division as a safety measure,” he said.
Community leaders confirmed to FIJ that meetings had been held at the local government level, and an agreement to introduce streetlights was met to address the challenges.
FIJ observed operations at the new Alade police division, but was unable to speak with its DPO who was unavailable for comments.
ONIPANU POLICE DIVISION RECOVERS QUIETLY
Another affected police station was the Onipanu Police Divisional Headquarters. The station was razed and rendered uninhabitable back in October.
When FIJ visited the area, our reporter observed ongoing renovations.
Residents testified to relative peace in the area since the attack, as the police would usually patrol the area. Some residents also atttributed regular commuter traffic for making it difficult for crime to thrive in the area.
ORILE RESIDENTS GIVE UP ON POLICE, SET TO BUILD OWN STATION
For residents of Orile-Iganmu in Surulere Constituency 2, surviving regular cult clashes and leadership tussles within the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the area, means dipping into their own pockets to build a new police post.
Diya Olubunmi, Community Development Association (CDA) Chairman of Orile, explained that ‘Savage’ and ‘Baale’ wards in the area were notorious for cult activities and attacks on residents.
He said he had taken extra steps to ensure Osho ward, where he resides, remained peaceful despite a breakdown of law and order since the Sari Iganmu police station went up in flames.
Although, the station is undergoing repairs as observed by FIJ, a bridge construction and a four-lane road stood between the police station and Orile Iganmu residents.
Olubunmi showed FIJ a letter titled ‘Assistance For Construction Of Police Post,’ which the community had written to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State Governor, requesting assistance in building a new police post which had already been drawn by an architect of their choosing.
The letter read, “We the joint CDA of Orile-Iganmu Community, hereby solicit your assistance for our proposed police post within our community in order to reduce crime.
“Having a police post closer to us will help create fear in those trying to commit crime. Though there is a police station in Sari Iganmu, which is close to our community (sic), but before they can get to our area when they are needed, it becomes difficult as they need to travel long distance to turn because of the demarcation on the high way, and sometimes, before they can get to our community, those (perpetrating) the crime might have escaped. This calls for worry.
“The joint CDA of Orile Iganmu have therefore, solicited land from Oba Ojora, which we have been given, and we have also done the architectural worth for the police post of which the copy is here attached.”
The letter was received by the office of the governor’s Chief of Staff on September 1, 2021.
Prior to meeting Olubunmi, FIJ spoke with a resident with firsthand experience of the effects of a weakened police structure and emboldened thugs.
Njideka Nwannemeka (not real name), a store owner who resides on Savage street, told FIJ that after the police station was burnt, thugs took over the community, and residents were forced to hire Oduduwa Peoples Congress (OPC) vigilantes for extra security.
Each flat within the community was taxed N2,000 to help fund the improvised security, but this did not stop thugs from breaking the windshield of her husband’s car and going unpunished.
“The boy was blocking the road, he didn’t allow my husband to pass and enter our compound, and after my husband forced his way, the boy used his hand to break the windshield,” she told FIJ.
“We called the police, but the policewoman came and was saying ‘madam just leave am, just leave am, forgive am,‘ then the OPC too came and did nothing. I still see the boy every day, and he has no remorse.”
On another occasion, she was accosted by hoodlums while crossing the bridge from Sari Iganmu to Orile. They snatched her bag and hit her on the head with a blunt object, leaving her in a pool of her own blood as they fled down the bridge and unto a motorcycle as they rode past policemen sitting idly.
“I ran towards the police screaming, asking that they chase after the robbers but they refused,” she said. “I told them I will pay, but they said ‘madam no be dem dey go for that okada? (motorcycle), dem don go na, leave them, go treat yourself.'”
FIJ attempted to reach the police, NURTW and OPC, but they declined to comment.
Nwannemeka told FIJ she had had to employ extra measures to protect her shop from burglary as it had been burgled a number of times.
Back at Olubunmi’s residence, the CDA chairman told FIJ that only two months ago, a cult clash had claimed the life of a man simply identified as ‘Delewu’.
Delewu’s death was allegedly linked to an NURTW leadership tussle. He suffered over 40 gunshot wounds, and succumbed to his injuries after fighting for his life for three days.
A retaliatory attack followed his death as residents were forced to stay indoors for a week as the streets became battlegrounds for thugs.
Olubunmi said regardless of the distance between the station and Orile, he preferred petitioning the state command to approaching the station there as “I know what they can do”.
He said there had been many occasions when the police would see perpetrators of evil, and ignore.
Building a new police station with the support of the traditional leader and the state government, would bring peace and restore sanity to the area, according to the octogenarian.
PEN-CINEMA STATION BOUNCES BACK, BUT THUGS STILL RULE
As was the case in Alade, the razed Pen-Cinema Divisional Headquarters, Agege, was cordoned off as the police relocated.
Despite the swift reaction by the police to get back on its feet, there continues to exist the threat of hoodlums who extort unsuspecting residents and visitors alike, with the threat of violence.
Residents told FIJ that oftentimes, random boys took up positions on roads to demand money from commuters and pedestrians. NURTW staff confirmed this to FIJ.
Nurudeen Owoyemi, the Deputy Chairman of the NURTW in Agege, described the happenings as embarrassing. He said there had been frequent complaints of harassment and extortion by boys in the area, and many believe them to be members of the union.
This, according to him, brings disrepute to the union. “Two months ago, we reported to the police. They came looking for the thugs but the effort proved abortive,” he told FIJ. “The police know that we are not in support of the action of thugs.”
Oyedeji Isiba, the Oba of Agege, told FIJ that the problem was a lingering one, and it had overwhelmed the police and community leaders.
“We can always talk to them (thugs); if they like, they listen, and if they don’t like, they do what they like,” Isiba said. “They are disturbing us; government is supposed to know what to do; they are seeing them.”
He said despite security meetings held with landlords and the DPO, the residents were “helpless as there are people at the top vetting the release” of thugs arrested by the police.
POLICE EXTORT COMMUTERS IN AMUKOKO
Another razed police building is the Amukoko Police Division where the police continue to operate as renovations are ongoing.
While the attack did not heavily cripple the police, commercial drivers wish it did, as they have become soft targets for extortion by the police.
When FIJ spoke to residents on the state of security in their areas, they were quick to point out that the community had not come under any serious threats other than the police boldly extorting commercial tricycle and bus drivers.
One tricycle operator said the police had been warned several times, but it did not stop the trend. “Dem don warn them, they no de hear word, every night dem go de collect money from ‘marwa’ (tricycle) and buses,” he told FIJ.
FIJ confirmed from two ‘Marwa’ operators that this practice had gone on for a long time, and it was not only restricted to night time. They said it occurs during the day as well, but the officers were more emboldened by the cover of darkness.
The police declined comment on this occasion as well.
IGANDO: BAG-SNATCHING RAMPANT AS POLICE RECOVER
Muyiwa Adejobi confirmed the burning of Igando and Ikotun police stations back in October, 2020 when he still represented the Lagos State Police Command.
FIJ visited both areas to speak with residents concerning security since the climax of last year’s protests.
In Egan, Igando, the major concern for residents who spoke to FIJ was the dangers that lurk in the dark. Residents told FIJ that motorcycle operators regularly snatch bags in the early hours of the day, and late at night.
Restrictions had been placed on their movement at odd hours, but enforcing said restrictions had been difficult for residents.
Steven Ewem (not real name), a tricycle operator, told FIJ that he regularly gets calls from residents to come pick them from their homes between 5am and 6am to get to the Igando highway, where they board buses to their workplaces.
“Those Okada, they will come out and snatch bags from anybody that comes out early in the morning or late at night,” he told FIJ. “Me now, I de ride keke, so if anybody call me say make I come pick them from house, I go pick them, carry them go the bus stop, I no go stop for anybody.”
FIJ spoke to a representative of the task force responsible for ticketing motorcycle operators. He told FIJ that the task force was aware of the challenges, but due to the large number of motorcycle operators in the area, it was “impossible” to monitor the activities of every one of them.
He said even motorcycles were being robbed regularly, and complaints had been made to the police station, with insignificant results because “Shebi na the one wey dem hear, na hin de go do. The person wey don tiff am don go, we no fit know everybody wey de ride Okada for here, our own na to collect money.”
IKOTUN POLICE STILL IN DILAPIDATED STATION
When FIJ visited the Ikotun police station, this reporter did not expect the completely razed station to be operational, but when residents told FIJ that the police did not waste time in getting back up, it became clearer why.
Inside the premises, renovation works were ongoing and police officers residing in the compound were going about their normal life as an operational building stood erect only a short distance from the current ruins.
AJEGUNLE SARS OUTPOST STAYS BURIED
In Ajegunle, the only existing reminder of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) is an expired outpost that was razed after the protests.
The structure has never recovered, and Sola Owoyemi, the new DPO of the Ajegunle Police Division, told to FIJ that there was no trace of SARS again in the area since its disbandment.
IJESHA POLICE DIVISION PROVIDES COVER FOR CELE OUTPOST
On Cele expressway, Ijesha, as is the case with most of the stations FIJ visited, significant damage was don to the building to make it non-functional.
FIJ captured the entrance which was now closed to the public as construction workers attempt renovations.
Security in this area has now become the sole responsibility of the Ijesha Police Division located in the same vicinity.
OWORONSHOKI, IDIMU, MUSHIN (OLOSAN), GBAGADA STATIONS NOT RAZED
When the police took stock of stations and structures razed during by hoodlums, conflicting reports were published here and here.
Some of the stations mentioned were the Owonshoki, Idimu, Mushin (Olosan) and Gbagada stations, but when FIJ visited these stations to confirm the level of damage, residents confirmed that they were not razed as claimed eventhough they were attacked.
There were other police stations listed as razed, but FIJ was yet to visit them as of the time of filing this report.
Findings made by FIJ in the communities of the razed stations and outposts were presented to Adekunle Ajisebutu, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), but he declined comment.
In Lagos, the #EndSARS protests began on October 7, 2020, and ended 13 days after when soldiers shot protesters at the Lekki toll gate after Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the state governor, declared a curfew.
The governor’s order came following a breakdown of law and order that left many police stations, media houses, shops and commercial buildings attacked and razed.
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