Following news that the Lagos State Government was demolishing houses at a site along Ibeshe road, Ikorodu, reporters from Oriwu Sun set out with the Publisher to find out exactly what happened at the demolition site.
On arrival at the site, the Publisher and reporters initially met a receptive policeman at the gate. After a brief introduction, they were allowed to enter the site. While the Publisher and his reporters were inspecting the massive demolition, a group of men, suspected to be ‘Omo Onile’, who were brandishing cutlasses and other dangerous weapons hidden under the seat of their motorcycles, challenged the Publisher and despite briefing them on his mission, the fierce looking ‘Omo Onile’ (land grabbers) insisted that the publisher and his reporters vacate the site immediately while also threatening to beat them up for trespassing because, according to them, they were stationed at the site by the state government and nobody is allowed entry.
While sensing danger ahead, the Publisher obliged the ‘Omo Onile,’ who despite recognizing him, decided to go wild.
Later on, a group of goons came on motorcycles and started sneering at the Publisher in a rude and delinquent manner, shouting that they would mob him and his reporters right inside the site if they respond.
They also picked on one of the reporters and mocked his working tools in order to provoke him so that he could respond and give them reasons to attack him but he kept his calm.
The policeman in dark shades asked the reporter to remove his glasses; he insisted even after the reporter explained that his glasses was medicated and he can’t see clearly without it. The reporter had to remove the glasses and managed to walk out of the yard.
Though, the boys wore pale green colour vests bearing Lagos State Government insignia, they clearly don’t look nor behave like government sent officials. They could have been goons sent from aggrieved home owners, whose houses were demolished.
They exhibited the standard manners of Agberos (hooligans in streets who run amok).
When they arrived at the entrance, the policeman ordered that the reporter’s phone be searched for photographs taken. The felonious boys searched the phone and continued with their foul language. They soon started barking and shouting at anyone they see in sight and threatening to seize any vehicle in sight. It was hard to tell if the police superior officer was in charge of the yard or the felonious boys. Government officials are trained, groomed and cultured; the boys in the regalia with government insignia were certainly not from government.
The question is, how did these boys get the regalia and dominate the yard even in the presence of a handful policemen?