Nigeria has continuous to be a paradox, in about 17 years of democratic governance the political elite and their acolytes feed fat on our commonwealth and now the chicken has come home to roast. While Boko Haram terrorist sect reign supreme in the north-east, issues of kidnapping is ubiquitous all over the country, ethnic clashes is a daily occurrence and now- embolden armed robbery.
The armed robbery saga starting like a joke in Lekki but it has since spread to Ikorodu, Festac and now Seme. The modus operandi of these robbers is to come through the water in fly boat and escaped the same way. What is unique about the Seme situation is the fact that ARM gathered that the robbers allegedly wrote a letter to all the banks in the area informing them of an imminent attack.
The security operatives took precautionary measures by beeping off security in the whole of Seme and putting the banks in locked down since Tuesday afternoon in a bid to prevent or forestall the attack of the robbers, In spite of all the efforts of the police and other security agencies, the robbers ARM learnt came to Seme in the wee hours of Thursday but are repelled by the Customs. The robbers fled leaving their fly boat and some ammunition including several bullets. Three members of a cross-border robbery syndicate have been arrested by officials of the Nigerian Customs Service, NCS, the Nigeria Police Force, NPF and their counterparts in the neighbouring Benin Republic.
It came as a surprise when ARM learnt again that there is a heavy shoot-out going on in Seme this morning (Friday). This is coming barely two months when the whole of Badagry was under threat and siege of the ‘one million boys’. The one million boys is a group of armed robbers numbering 30 upwards. It is said that this nefarious group usually inform an area before attacking and that they usually come in several vehicles. This incident generated untold hardship and apprehension in the whole of Badagry. Every street formed a vigilante group and many landlords had sleepless nights guarding their premises and properties.
President Buhari in conjunction with the administration of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode must take a critical look at the development of Badagry. The construction of the Badagry expressway and rail line is very slow, if not stalled. Driving to Badagry is not palatable at all; in fact, it’s a harrowing, dangerous and painful task. The negative effect on motorists and commuters cannot be quantified.
Badagry expressway is an international road connecting Nigeria to other neighbouring countries; leaving it in such a sorry state rubs off badly on our image. While former governor of Lagos, Babatunde Fashola used the project to tackle the then administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and promote his, he has failed to do anything concrete about it since he became the minister of works, power and housing. What an irony!
It’s like Badagry is not part of Lagos state, no wonder the Peoples Democratic Party won a number of electoral victories on that axis. Truth be told, Badagry has suffered neglect since the advent of democracy in 1999. The general hospital in Badagry is not worthy of been called a health centre. Badagry lacks everything-good road, power, security and whatever comes to your mind. Governor Ambode can make a huge difference by not following the path of his predecessors in the development of Badagry and its environs.
