Residents and motorists in Lagos State have called on Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode to urgently address cases of robberies in gridlocks in the metropolis which, they said, have become their nightmare.
They also urged the governor to ensure that bad portions of the roads which often create gridlocks were repaired, even though they admitted that often, the cause of the traffic jams could not be ascertained.
Those who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday said that they had lost their valuables and were at different times attacked by hoodlums.
NAN reports that hoodlums often take advantage of the slow traffic to attack unsuspecting motorists and their passengers before demanding for their valuables.
Narrating their experiences some of them said they were helpless as there were no security agents to save them.
A lady, who pleaded anonymity, said that three hoodlums tried to rob her around 8 p.m. in a slow moving traffic at Odo Iya Alaro, Maryland.
“The hoodlums after tapping at my door glass for me to wind down still took their time to follow my car as I had to change lane twice before the road later became free and I zoomed off,’’ she said.
According to her, she was helpless and started to press the car horn continuously to at least call for help before she was finally able to zoom off.
One Mr Tony, who was not that lucky told NAN that he was unlucky when he was robbed at Fadeyi area of Ikorodu Road.
“There was nowhere for me to move to when about two of the hoodlums started hitting my door glass at Fadeyi along Ikorodu Road at about 8.30 p.m.
“I was able to hide my phone but my laptop bag on the seat behind me and my wristwatch were forcefully taken away from me,’’ Tony told NAN.
He, however, advised that motorists should be security conscious whenever they were driving at night as no one could predict where the dare-devil hoodlums would be operating.
Another victim, one Mr Deji, a banker, said he and his colleagues were attacked while approaching Apongbon, CMS around 6 a.m. on their way to work.
“We were four in the car that day when the hoodlums came armed with locally made guns and threatened to break the glass if we refused to wind down the glass.
“When it became obvious that there was nowhere to run to as the hoodlums became more aggressive, we had to wind down and release our valuables to them.
“This was after I was slapped twice by one of them,’’ he said.
Some of those who spoke also urged the government to rid the roads of hawkers as many of them were not selling enough articles that could sustain them.
They expressed the opinion that such persons might apparently be robbing in gridlocks, especially at nights to meet their needs.
NAN recalls that the Lagos State Police Command had issued various warnings on illegal possession of firearms and also promised to free Lagos of robberies in traffic. (NAN)
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