Residents and business owners in the Offin, Ogunlewe and Bayeku areas of Ikorodu in Lagos State have raised the alarm over alleged repeated robbery incidents in the community.
The business owners who are mostly affected by the trend lamented that it had been ongoing for weeks.
Speaking on Sunday, the victims recounted how their shops were burgled at night and their items carted away in the process.
A business owner, Bukola Adanri, said goods worth millions of naira were looted in her boutique on Bayeku Road in November.
She said, “My boutique was burgled and looted on November 11 through midnight November 12. It was my church’s harvest week and I had gone to provide some necessary assistance. So, I went to my shop on my way from church. I got there around 3 pm and discovered that my shop was empty. The thieves packed all my stocks and closed the shop. The items stolen were slippers, handbags, ladies’ wear, jeans trousers, blouses and gowns, including men’s wear.”
She further stated that the fashion designer’s shop beside her boutique was also burgled the same day.
“They carried the new set of Ankara she bought a day earlier. Another bigger boutique was burgled two weeks after her own. I reported to the police barracks at Igbogbo Road Ikorodu and a police lady followed me and snapped my shop. She collected N3,000. Since then, I have not heard anything from the police,” she added.
Also, a pharmacy shop owner on Bayeku Road who identified himself simply as Festus, recounted a similar experience.
According to him, all his supplements were stolen including some expensive medications.
He said, “My shop was burgled from behind. The intruder broke the glass and made entry but I noticed he got injured with the broken glass. Maybe, with his head or hand but blood was on the floor and got my shelves stained. He also had the guts to use my first aid box to treat himself while on the operation. Many supplements were stolen, as well as other expensive medications and consumables. It was a sad experience and I was pained to be a victim of such. I had to inconveniently restock later.”
A resident who also spoke to our correspondent but pleaded anonymity said other business establishments had suffered a similar fate in the last couple of weeks.
“The fact is that the shops in this area are vulnerable. They burgled a weavon shop, another shop where foodstuffs were stocked as well as more boutiques,” the resident disclosed.
Another resident, who gave his name as Mr Okanlawon, said the series of stealing and burgling of shops in the community was due to a lack of patrol by security operatives.
“There is a lack of security presence in the community. This had majorly contributed to the burglary activities in the community. This had also affected the business owners in so many ways,” he said.
While calling on the authorities to find a lasting solution, Okanlawon said, “The festive season is here and usually characterised by people of questionable characters who want to live beyond their means. The stealing and burgling of shops as well as apartments may be on the rise if nothing is done.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, could not be reached as calls made to his phone were not responded to. A text message sent to him had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.