Kunle Adelabu
-We have notified security agencies – Hon. Agunbiade, CDA
Residents of White House area in the Grammar School/Technical School area of Ikorodu Local Government, Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, are now living in fear following the threat issued by a group, that called itself, ‘Team 13’, that the area will be invaded.
The distraught residents woke up on Thursday (yesterday) morning to see copies of notice pasted on walls in the area. The notice states that Team 13 will be invading the area on December 24, 25 and 26, 2020, and that the residents should prepare for their visit and cooperate.
The copies of the notice, which reads: “Team 13 expect Us 24, 25 and 26 December, 2020. Maximum Cooperation or head would roll”, were pasted at Dejuwogbo Avenue, White House Street and other parts of the area.
THE IMPACT gathered that the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly and Representative of the Ikorodu constituency I, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade and the Chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA) in the area, Mr Ismail Oredein, said that necessary security agencies have been notified.
Speaking with THE IMPACT, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade said that necessary security agencies have been notified and charged residents to be vigilant of happenings in the area.
“I learnt about the development and I have notified necessary security agencies and they have taken cognizance of the threat”, he said.
“I am sure that they have put in the necessary machinery to ensure that the lives and properties of residents are protected”, he added.
He also charged residents of the area to be vigilant and be observant of happenings in their area.
“While we are ensuring that necessary security formations are placed on notice and also seeing to it that they act adequately, I also want to appeal to my people to be vigilant and be observant of those coming in and going out of the area.
“Let us notify our CDA leaders and security personnel whenever we suspect any unusual movement or activities”, Hon. Agunbiade charged.
The CDA Chairman, Mr Ismail Oredein, speaking with our reporter on phone, also said that they have officially informed the police as a community and that they are putting in place some measures.
“We have informed the police as soon as we saw the notice and as a community, we shall be putting in place certain measures”, he told our reporter.
The CDA Chairman also stated that they are rallying round and sensitizing the entire community on the development.
Prince Bolajoko Abayomi, a community leader popularly known as ‘Captain’, said that the development is surprising to them despite the fact that they are paying security personnel.
“We woke up to see a notice by a group called Team 13, staying that we should be ready for their visit and that they want our cooperation and that anyone that fails to cooperate will be dealt with.
“We saw that they posed with AK 47 and other dangerous weapons in the photograph on the notice.
“The situation is quite baffling because we employed security men that are being paid, yet they could not apprehend those that pasted copies of the notice”, he said.
“Since the development, CDA executives have been meeting with the community elders to fashion out necessary line of actions and we are hopeful that nothing will happen by the grace of God.”
The community leader appealed to the government, both at the local and state levels, to come to the rescue of his community and also ensure that there are adequate security measures to address the insecurity situations in the state.
Another leader of the community and a popular politician, Alhaji Koroof, also stated that the community is doing everything to prevent the threat from happening.
He also appealed to the government to ensure that lives and properties of residents in the area are protected.
Meanwhile, the Ikorodu Local Government Chairman, Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, and the leadership of the Onyabo Vigilance Group, Ikorodu Zonal Command, (which has its office at the entrance of the White house community) has stated that they are not aware of the development.
In a telephone conversation with THE IMPACT on Friday (today), Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, though protested that the CDA leadership did not inform him about the unfortunate development, commended them for having duly notified the police.
“I am not aware at all. I’m just hearing about it from you. The leadership of the CDA ought to have informed me so that we would have worked with them to see how we can address the situation”, the Council Chairman said.
When informed by our reporter that the CDA Chairman said that they have contacted the police, Hon. Adeshina said, “That is good. At least, they have done well by informing the police.”
Also, Comrade Nurudeen Oseni, Chairman, Onyabo Vigilance Group, Ikorodu Local Government Command, and Comrade Gabriel Adeyelu (Baba Moses), the Secretary of the Command, said that they have not been informed about the development despite that their office is situated at the major entrance of the community.
They said that they are willing and ready to help if the community get them involved in the matter.
