Kunle Adelabu
Mixed reactions have continue to trail the decision of the acting Commissioner of Police, Mr Imohimi Edgar, to impose curfew as a security measure to combat the resurgence of deadly Badoo killings in Ikorodu division and environs.
The police chief gave the directive at a stakeholders’ meeting held at the palace of the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, on the night of Saturday, November 25 to early morning of Sunday, November 26, 2017.
Unknown to Mr Edgar and the stakeholders in the division, the suspected members of the deadly gang were already planning to launch an attack while the meeting was going on at the palace.
The attack came hours after the police, in conjunction with the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi and other stakeholders in Ikorodu division resolved to impose dusk-to-dawn curfew to stem the resurgence of ritual killings which was reported few days earlier in Agbowa, a neighbouring community of Ikorodu division.
Meanwhile, mixed reactions have continued to trail the dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed across the division by the police.
Many of the residents condemned the directive given by the police chief. They described the act as failure of Lagos Police Command to effectively police lives and properties of the people,while some others welcomed the idea as a strategic measure to combat the menace.
Speaking on THE IMPACT newspaper’s whatssApp chat platform, former Clerk of the Lagos State House of Assembly and Chairman of Ikorodu-Oga Development Association (IKODASS), Otunba Ganiyu Abiru, described the imposition of curfew as an old method of responding to security situation while suggesting that the police should embrace the community policing method.
“The curfew thing is an archaic method of policing. Are we under threat? I say no. Are we really on the path of Megacity status? This curew thing has distorted and repudiated that. The new improved Neighbourhood Watch is akin to Community policing and should be rightly structured to perform effectively. I have said it at several fora that the Baales must be effectively utilized. Any security arrangement without defining roles for the Baales is potentially calamitous”, he suggested.
“Where a Baale fails to monitor his Community efficiently, he should be sanctioned but the Local Government Administrators also have a lot of roles to perform but sadly enough, they always inundate us with excuses of no money”, he added.
“ Let the Police identify dark spots and illuminate them up with gradual installation of CCTV . All of these are not rocket science but our failure to get out of our jinxed box. The right definition of sanity is to continue to do some things the same way and expect a different outcome. Above all, the morale of the Police must b enhanced. The physiology of Nigerian Police is not different to that of America. The distinguishing difference is their management”, Otunba Abiru stated.
Also speaking, Tayo Odesanya simply stated that the action of the police was an admittance of incompetence.
“Imposition of curfew at will by the police, to me, signals that institution’s admission of incompetence, laziness and an abuse of power”.
Miss Arinola Okeowo, a graduate of Mass Communication and Property, viewed the curfew from its effects on the social and economic lives of the division.
“The night life in Ikorodu will be on hold and lots of investors in that sector would record low turnouts. Places Like Victoria Island, Lekki and the rest are always bubbling even at midnight and the environment is sane, why not look at measures they have put in place in those places, especially by providing light everywhere”, she queried.
Oluwakemi Hassan, an Entertainment Promoter, while reacting did not only condemn the curfew but also other resolutions of the stakeholders meeting, especially the directive that vigilantes should start burning tyres at night.
“The burning of tyres is not good for the road. It damages our roads.The roads we are still complaining that are not good enough.We want to damage them more. We can supply each CDA gas burner/cylinder to make fire through the night instead of encouraging the burning of tyres. That will safe our road”, he suggested.
He added, “What we need to combat Baddo and other crimes are adequate street lights, regular power supply, bush clearing where necessary, spot checks, equipping and training of the security personnel, State government given the traditional institutions clear roles to play, enlightenment for the public, good access road and interval checks of uncompleted building & sites”.
Mr Timothy Okeowo, a lecturer, described the security situation as an offshoot of corruption in the Nigerian police system.
“But what alternative do the police have given the poor recruitment process, high level of corruption in an agency entrusted with such duty? Most police personnel that should be conducting underground surveillance are posted to public and private secondary schools, high profile public servants among others to play the role of ‘gate keepers’ “, he alleged.
“The facts before the security council may have informed the decision to declare curfew. With the presence of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, who has been adjudged as a very sound professional officer, at the Stakeholders’ meeting where the decision was reached, he should have give us the benefits and acceptability of such decision at this point in time”, Mr Okeowo stated.
“I agree that regular power supply coupled with empowerment of the jobless youths and native intelligence gathering could help minimise the security challenges in our domain. However, how many of our streets are with street lights?” , he queried.
Gbolu Jire, an Engineer with a construction company in Ikorodu, also stated, “They want to take away the remaining little nightlife in Ikorodu. Abeg o! No to curfew. If you can secure us in the morning, then secure us in the night. Should there be anything special about the night, except that witches fly? he asked.
Barr. Saheed Shillings, a Legal Practitioner and former Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikorodu branch, described the security situation as a function of complacency.
“The security problem we have is a function of our complacency. A Commissioner of Police came, talked tough and there was calm and we clapped. Have we asked: what happened to those arrested? Those who are openly accused, have they been invited? The man who said the police chief is a lunatic, what has happened to him? The shrines demolished, who are the owners and what has happened to them? Is there anyone in court over this matter of Badoo and why are they not prosecuted in Ikorodu (if any is being prosecuted)? ,he queried.
“So, we go to state-of-nature where police arrest poor children we could not provide job for and extort them in phantom investigation designed for no result. So, we cannot move in the night because the police is deficient such that they can only sell fear and get promotion. If you ask me for my candid opinion, a police chief that could not unmask those who committed those heinous crimes, involving such magnitude of loss of human lives, is either inefficient or a collaborator. Let us apply to the Governor to fund “Onyabo” to solve the problem for us. Chikena!” , he stated.
Expressing her support to the declaration of curfew, Mrs Funke Awoyemi, a notable Community Development Activist in Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, stated that the curfew is necessary because evils are mostly perpetrated at night.
“The need for curfew, as far as I am concerned, is simply to curtail night ills. Ills are mostly perpetrated in the night. You know yourself and you can defend your movement if it necessitate night movement. There are so many others that do not mean well for you and I. How do you curtail their activities sir? Badoo does not strike in the day”, she stated.
“You cannot compare this axis to the overdeveloped areas like Lekki where every building has security personnel watching over it, not to talk of the alliance with the police for regular patrol. An underdeveloped area like ours is a dumping ground for all sorts. The last time robbers were chased out of the city, particularly in Shomolu where the present Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Ikorodu worked, they (robbers) all moved down Ikorodu, including the interiors of Ijede ”, she added while justifying the decision of the police chief regarding the curfew.
“Since then, they (robbers) have consoled themselves and stayed put within us. They are the people causing this unrest. So, if the police feel the only major way to check them is this (curfew), why must it be a serious problem except for some exceptions. If the time frame can be reviewed, good but that the curfew should not stay, I do not support that sir ”, Mrs Awoyemi added.
An hotelier, who spoke with THE IMPACT on phone, queried the reasoning of many of the residents opposing the curfew.
“I really do not know what the residents really want. If the police feel the curfew will combat the Badoo menace, why not support and cooperate with them in our own interest? We (hoteliers) should be the ones complaining because of the effects of the curfew on our business but we are not because it is in the interest of everybody”, he stated.
Killing of Pastor in Igbogbo/Bayeku
According to a source who is a community development activist in Lajo community of Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, the suspected members of the dreadful Badoo group smashed the head of the pastor with big stones.
The victim of the latest attack is one Mr Victor Kanayo, a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) . His wife and 10-month-old baby were found unconscious at the scene of the incident.
The unfortunate incident occurred at Lewusu area of Lajo/Offin Community in Igbogbo/Bayeiku LCDA on November 26, 2017.
The source stated, “This attack revealed that this deadly group called “Badoo” is still very much around us because two big stones, which are their trademarks, were found beside the victim’s bodies.
“His head was smashed with the stones by the assailants after gaining entrance into his apartment through a cut burglary proof ”.
The Stakeholders Meeting In Ikorodu
The Police Commissioner, Mr Edgar Imohimi, had met with the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, various security formations and stakeholders in the town.
At the meeting which commenced in the night of Saturday, November 25, and lasted into the early hours of Sunday, November 26, 2017, it was resolved that a dusk-to-dawn curfew should be imposed on Ikorodu from 12am to 5pm to stem the resurgence of the activities of the deadly group.
The meeting also resolved to regulating the activities of religious groups, especially as it regards vigils.
Mr Edgal warned that the police would arrest and charge the pastor of any church where ritualists kill worshippers during vigil with murder.
“Henceforth, no pastor should organise a vigil in Ikorodu without adequate security arrangement. Do not organise any vigil if you cannot protect the lives of the people who attend”, the police chief said.
He said most of the ritual killings took place on church premises, adding that in most cases, the pastors would have concluded their prayers and left before the murderers would attack vulnerable women and children.
“All churches and mosques do have vigils in isolated locations and when the pastors leave the gathering after the event, the murderers attack the women and children”.
“If you must have night vigils, you must put in place structures to protect your worshippers. If I hear that anybody is murdered in any church or mosque, I will arrest the pastor or the Imam and charge him or her to court for murder.”
“Three-quarter of the cases we have had in Ikorodu is related to relatives of a church member or pastor. They either occurred in the church premises or a building housing a church. We must protect the women and children,” Edgal added.
The police chief also announced the imposition of curfew between 1am and 4am across the division, urging traditional rulers to prevail on their people to commence patrols and make burn fires to ward off killers.
More so, he blamed the resurgence of crime in the town on the release of some suspected Badoo members.
