The police in Lagos have said that most of the reported cases of robberies in different parts of the metropolis are false alarms raised to cause panic
The police in Lagos have said that most of the reported cases of robberies in different parts of the metropolis are false alarms raised to cause panic in society, adding that several other phone calls to police hotlines turn out to be pranks from the callers, PremiumTimes is reporting.
Multiple residents in Ogun and Lagos States have reported via social media their inability to sleep since the coronavirus lockdown began a week ago due to the robberies.
But Bala Elkana, the Lagos State Police spokesperson says that most of the reports are not true, as people kept calling the police, only to put them in distress to watch while nothing was happening in those communities.
He said the reported cases at Ogba, Abule Egba, Agege and some other areas are only false alarms.
“People are just at home being creative, sending panic messages, both Ogun and Lagos,” he said.
He however admitted that there were only three real cases of robberies, one in Ogun community and two in Lagos communities. He said hoodlums and miscreants have devised a new way of robbing people during the lockdown different from the reports being circulated on the social media.
“You know their style? They will step out in the name of supremacy fight, just to create confusion and draw people from their houses and start stealing from them and snatching phones.”
He said there was a cult clash within Ogun communities close to Alakoko area, and the area had been battling this for the past four, five days while the Ogun State police command had been making arrests. He said during the ‘staged’ supremacy fights, they loot from people, steal phones, especially from those who refuse to sit in their houses.
“Due to the proximity of the community to Lagos State, once the clash starts, the Lagos State Command receives multiple calls from people on robbery and hoodlums disturbing the area and we rush there. Because we are very close to the community, we had to send some of our men to help them, and also because those hoodlums trying to escape the Ogun State police split into Lagos communities. Nine of them were arrested yesterday,” Elkana said.
He said seven hoodlums were also arrested at Apapa area of Lagos after staging a supremacy fight and looting from residents.
“Those reports are not real, I’m giving the scenarios of the real cases,” he said, at the mention of Ogba, Abule Egba, Agege and other communities.
In a bid to foil robbery attempts, residents and youth of communities in Lagos and Ogun states are reportedly holding night watch to secure their neighbourhoods.
