HOODLUMS ON THE RISE IN GOWON Estate AND

-VANDALISM, THEFT ON THE INCREASE

-CDA CHAIRMAN , WE ‘RE HANDICAPPED

CHUKS OKOH

 

Residents of Gowon Estate in Alimosho area of Lagos State now live in fear as hoodlums and bandits have continue to unleash terror in the area

Residents in the estate are no longer sleeping with their eyes closed especially when almost all the streets in the estate have rested their security guards following the high cost of keeping them at night

These hoodlums in the past few weeks have descended heavily on car owners, vandalising their cars.

While some cars had their batteries, brain boxes stolen after vandalising them, some had their cables cut completely removed.

One of the residents  who simply gave his name as Ubani had his parked truck vandaliised at 412 Road in the estate.

According to him, the vehicle was sent to him from Germany. The hoodlums destroyed the battery protector, cut off all the copper wires and removed its battery.

Just last week,  residents of union bank, army block and  some other buildings had their pumping machines and cables completely stolen overnight

Some of the hoodlums most scavengers in the day and thieves at night were apprehended around 3 am with stolen items in sack bags.

Items found in the sack include, three giant aluminium pot covers, packs of new students exercise books and other items stolen from shops in the estate.

Most worrisome is the stealing of aluminium covers of manholes across the estate as the manholes pose danger especially when it rains

Reacting to the ugly development in Gowon Estate, the Chairman of Community Development Association (CDA) Alhaji Dauda Oyebanji traced the origin of insecurity in the area to emergence of scavengers in the estate

Oyebanji said he raised concerns about abandoned vehicles on the roads, which have become security challenges for residents and called for the removal of these vehicles and the establishment of a task force to tackle the issue.

He noted that members of the committee failed to carry out their activities to restore sanity in the area.

Oyebanji said the CDA was handicapped in providing security as residents in the estate have refused to contribute towards securing lives and property in the area.

He condmned the activities of scavengers, saying they have constituted nuisance in the area.

Oyebanji noted that a metal sales depot at the customs quarters in the estate now served as abode to these scavengers adding that the CDA had last year written to them to evacuate but no response

He also lamented the lack of commitment by residents towards the activities of the CDA.

Gowon Estate has so many security blocks, including the DSS, the Police, Customs, Navy and Army, yet it remained the abode of hoodlums and misccreants.