By Ismaeel Uthman
CRIMINAL activities of cultists and hoodlums have continued unabated in Osogbo, State of Osun.
The cultists and hoodlums have at different occasions sacked normal daily activities for residents of some parts of the state capital, when they were out to strike, investigations have revealed.
On Monday, the thugs went on rampage, shooting into the air, harassing people and vandalising vehicles on their way around Oke-Baale, Kolawole, Ita-Olookan, Oluode, Obate, Egbatedo, Idi-Omo, Oke-Abesu, Ori-Eeru, Oke-Ayepe, Idowu Barber and other places in Osogbo.
According to residents of the affected areas, the hoodlums have been terrorizing the communities for the past one week.
The residents who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER on Tuesday said they were forced to close their shops, business places and houses when the thugs started their fight again around 7pm on Monday.
“The fight started around 7pm, the thugs were just trooping out from unknown places and started shooting into the air. They wreaked havoc on Oke-Baale, Kolawole, Atelewo, Ita-Olookan, Oluode, Obate, Egbatedo, Idi-Omo, Oke-Abesu, Ori-Eeru, Oke-Ayepe, and Idowu Barber. They were operating on about 40 motorcycles”, said credible sources.
OSUN DEFENDER learnt that each of the about 40 motorcycles was ridden by four hoodlums, who reportedly armed themselves with guns, cutlasses, axes, charms, clubs and bottles.
Findings by the medium revealed that the reoccurring clashes between two rival gangs in Obate were responsible for the persistent disturbances of peace of the communities.
A leader of one of the warring gangs was said to have just been released from prison and had since been reportedly waging war against some other groups in Osogbo.
According to sources, one person was feared killed in the clash.
Speaking with the medium, one of the victims of the hoodlums’ clashes on Monday, Mr. Waheed Adeleke said the windscreen of his vehicle was broken when he ran into their midst at Obate area, around 7:30-8:00pm.
He said: “I did not know anything was happening. I unluckily ran into the hoodlums at Obate junction when I was going to Abesu. They were coming on bike and some of them smashed the windscreen of my vehicles with the cutlasses in their hands. The car’s side mirrors were also broken. But I was lucky because I was not attacked. Some other road users were macheted by the thugs.”
Another commuter who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER but does not want his name in print said: “I was coming from Oke-Baale, approaching Oja-Oba. Before getting to Obate River, I just saw the hoodlums trooping out on about 40 motorcycles from the neighbourhood. There were three-to-four of them on each motorcycle. They were fully armed. They were heading for Oke Baale. I had to call my people to close their shops and business places.
“I wanted to change my route and take Oke Abesu to Ita-Olookan, before getting to a burial ground around that area; I just heard gunshots and people started running helter-skelter. I had to make a U-turn again. The thugs were everywhere, vandalizing vehicles and causing panic in the communities. People hurriedly closed their shops and houses. The communities were instantly deserted.”
OSUN DEFENDER met the Obate-in-Council, led by Chief Taye Oladele, the Baale of the community. Not only did they confirm the Monday attacks, but also declared that all residents of the area have been living in fear.
All the chiefs of the Obate community took their time to talk one by one, expressing their displeasure on the unchecked activities of the hoodlums, which they said have been taking negative tolls on their businesses.
They disclosed that for the past few days, they have not been sleeping with their two eyes closed because of the incessant clashes between hoodlums of different gangs.
In his reaction, Chief Oladele said he had on several occasions been attacked by the hoodlums, calling on government to show political will to end the menace.
Oladele said: “Hoodlum-related activities, clashes and attacks are recurring incidences, and very disturbing. We were forced to close shops, business places and even our houses on Monday. That is what we are used to because it did not just happen on Monday. My people have been living in fear because of the hoodlums who are operating freely.
“We are always afraid whether we are at home, shop or markets. These hoodlums are terrorizing us and we call on government to come to our rescue. We are ready to support the government when it is ready to take bold steps to curb the criminal acts.
“Government and politicians should be held responsible for the increasing rate of thuggery activities. We want to beg the government and politicians not to destroy the society because they are the ones using these thugs. These hoodlums are being sponsored by politicians. The politicians should stop killing us.
“The police and other security agencies are trying but the government is not supporting them. If a thug is arrested,
it is the politicians that will get them released. That is not helping the society. The government should address the issue of thuggery before it goes out of hand in Obate and Osogbo at large.”
A resident of Kolawole area who spoke with the medium on condition of anonymity said: “There is no resident of Obate among the thugs, and they don’t reside there. They had been coming to Obate to buy Indian Hemp from some of the indigenes of the community. When the indigenes stopped selling Indian Hemp, the hoodlums took over and started expanding their tentacles. That is how the community became an abode for criminals.
“On Monday, all the residents of Kolawole were chased inside their various houses with guns by the hoodlums who were shooting sporadically. What is even happening at Kolawole is disheartening. “These hoodlums have started robbing people of their phones and belongings at gunpoint during the day in the area.”
The clash reportedly lasted till around 11pm. Particles of broken vehicle windscreens were seen on the road at Oja-Oba, Obate junction, Kolawole and Ita-Olokan.
However, it was gathered that the police have been flushing out the hoodlums from their various hideouts on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Speaking with the medium, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force, Osun Command, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola confirmed the incident, disclosing that five of the hoodlums have been arrested.
She said: “The police are on top of the situation and we have arrested five of the hoodlums. The thugs were arrested with cut-to-size guns, cutlasses and axes. We are still raiding the hoodlums and we will not relent until we flush them out.”
