There was pandemonium at Ajegunle area of Lagos recently when a suspected robbery gang attacked a beer distributor with cutlasses, iron rods and other dangerous weapons at a warehouse in the area.
The distributor, Chidi Mbakwe, who was said to be busy at his warehouse at Barra Street, off Baale Aiyetoro Street, Ajegunle during the attack, reportedly escaped death by the whiskers.
Mbakwe who recounted his experience to The Point newspaper, said: “I was about to close for the day on the faithful day so there was no carton of beer outside. I decided to lock the door when the hoodlums came and were pushing the door open while I was trying to lock it. They overpowered me and forced the door open. They attacked me with cutlasses, iron rods and clubs.
“They dragged me out of my warehouse to the junction. I was screaming but nobody came to my rescue. They were hitting me with the side of cutlass at first before using the wood on me. They stepped on me and kicked me as they dragged me on the floor. They injured my eye with the wood and made away with the N70, 000 in my pocket while others in the warehouse carted away the sum of N100, 000 I hid there.”
He said the hoodlums were many, “so I cannot say how many they were; they were more than 20. I didn’t know what to do when they were attacking me because they could kill me if I had resisted.”
An eyewitness, David Ikechukwu, said he escaped from the scene with his close friend.
Ikechukwu said: “They were between ages 14 and 25. They brandished cutlasses and other dangerous weapons; I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I was discussing with my friend when the hoodlums appeared. Immediately we saw people with cutlasses and other dangerous weapon we ran away before they could round us up to attack us.
“Ajegunle is now very notorious for crime. The hoodlums collected huge sum of money from Ikechukwu before they dragged him on the floor from Barra Street to the middle of the tarred road on Baale Street, Ajegunle. People around had to run for dear lives. Residents of the area ran into their houses and locked their doors. Some were watching from afar.
“They injured the distributor and left him with black eye and bruises at different parts of his body. By the time the police came the robbers had escaped from the scene.”
Another eyewitness, Mukaila Alagbala, said it was a terrible experience on the fateful day as it was a narrow escape from death for Ikechukwu.
Alagbala said: “Ajegunle has changed so much. The police are doing their best but the boys are hungry. There is nothing you can do to stop young men who did not attend secondary school or learn work but have lovers. They must steal for survival. They are desperately seeking survival; you know that a hungry man is an angry man. The hoodlums are everywhere in Lagos but the police are doing their best to check their activities. The robbers came in broad daylight to rob. They almost killed Ikechukwu. The man suffered on that very day and nobody was bold enough to rescue him. They beat and dragged him on the floor for a long while”.
