Hoodlums retreat in states

Hoodlums looting public and private property in states have retreated as there were no recorded cases on Tuesday.

Analysts believed this might not be unconnected with Monday’s order by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai for military commanders and soldiers to go after miscreants that were vandalising and plundering strategic stores and reserves, public and private buildings.

• One killed as hoodlums loot COVID-19 palliatives in Kaduna LG
• COVID-19 palliatives: Fintiri gives hoodlums ultimatum to return stolen items

But the looting continued in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja and environs on Tuesday.

At least 16 states across the six geopolitical zones of the country had witnessed looting and civil disturbances within the last week.

These included Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti (South West); Anambra and Enugu (South East); Cross River and Edo (South-South); Plateau, Kogi and Kwara (North Central); Kaduna (North West) and Adamawa and Taraba (North East).

Our correspondents from the states said life was coming back to normal as most of the miscreants had retreated.

Before the deployment of troops, governors of the affected states had used different strategies including slamming curfews or imposing movement restrictions with a view to taming transgressions to no avail.

Situation in states

In Plateau, security personnel including mobile police and soldiers were seen stationed around Terminus Market to ensure law and order within the city centre of Jos.

Men of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), a special task force in the state were equally seen moving around in their vehicles along the major roads especially in Jos North and Jos South, two local governments hit by the looting of government and private property.

Members of the vigilante in their large numbers were equally seen around complementing the effort of the security personnel.

“We thank God that Nigeria is not yet a completely lawless state…I think the stern warning by the army chief is a game-changer,” said Rifkatu Samuel, a trader at Angwan Rukubu.

The situation remained calm in Ekiti with no acts of violence or looters on the road.

Soldiers and police officers were seen at strategic locations protecting lives and property without molesting people.

It was gathered that in Osun, some of the looters had returned what they took away following the amnesty granted them by the governor.

In Kaduna, there were indications that the looters shelved their notoriety after the deputy governor said they would be trailed and arrested considering that their faces have been identified from video clips.

Hoodlums dare soldiers in Abuja

There was pandemonium in Kuje, the headquarters of Kuje Area Council of the FCT as youths in their numbers stormed the town in search of palliatives in the area council secretariat.

People were seen running for safety as the youth’s raided shops in the market and pillaged goods.

Daily Trust learnt that the remaining COVID-19 palliatives kept in the warehouse at the council secretariat were moved by authorities to a safe place early in the morning on Tuesday.

But when the hoodlums stormed the warehouse and found nothing, they started looting shops.

One of the shop owners who identified herself as Ngozi said the tension was too much as violent youths stormed the streets of Kuje looting from shop to shop when they couldn’t find palliatives.

She said they learnt that the violent youths were not from Kuje but neighbouring communities.

“Kuje youths resisted them and as they were looting shops, they ran after them and collected the items, which they took to the Gomo’s palace for safekeeping. A lot of items were also looted from the area council office,” she said.

One of the youths from Kuje who identified himself as Iliya said the hoodlums were not from Kuje and that was why they told them to go back to their area.

The spokesperson of the chairman of the council, Mr. Nuhu Tanko said they woke up to the shocking sight of hoodlums that invaded the area.

“We shared the palliatives given during the lockdown and there is nothing in reserve at the store,” he said.

Elsewhere in Kubwa under Bwari Area Council, security operatives allegedly shot two persons while 41 other suspected hoodlums were arrested during a raid at the NYSC Camp in the area.

Youths in their hundreds reportedly besieged the facility around 9 am in search of palliatives.

It was gathered that when they could not find any, they broke into the camp’s warehouse where they took some training kits comprising NYSC uniforms and shoes, skills acquisition tools and camping mattresses.

Five newly acquired motorcycles used during a training exercise, office equipment like computers, freezers, electric generators and cooking pots were also not spared by the rampaging youths who were about three hundred in number.

It was the arrival of soldiers to the scene that saved the situation, witnesses said.

Earlier, some policemen rushed to the scene but they were reportedly overwhelmed by the youths, according to one of the security guards on duty.

A witness told Daily Trust that two persons were shot when they wanted to confront some soldiers who chased them down to Kukwaba, a nearby area close to the camp.

“That was when they shot the leg of one of them and another one on his hand,” he said.

Speaking to our reporter thereafter, the Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier Shuaibu Ibrahim, who confirmed the arrest of 41 suspects, said he was not aware of the two persons reportedly shot by the soldiers.

The DG confirmed that sometime in July, some palliatives items were kept in the camp saying they had been distributed.

“The few bags of rice stolen by the youths were taken from our store. They were leftover from our last camping programme, which was called off one week into the programme following the COVID-19 lockdown,” he said.

When contacted, the Kubwa Divisional Police Officer, CSP Bello Abdullahi said no fewer than 30 suspects were already in the division and would be taken to the command CID for further investigation before prosecution.

It was also gathered that the hoodlums had laid siege at an electronic store and a warehouse of one of the paramilitary establishments along the road to Idu Train Station.

An army officer, who was earlier posted to the area to forestall security breach, said he was shocked when the hoodlums dared him.

“The miscreants wanted to test our will simply because they believe we will not take punitive measures against them.

“This is erroneous… There is a limit to indiscretion because we will not take it lightly if protesters attempt to disarm us.

“When our superiors said we should not fire our guns at protesters, it does not mean we should allow ourselves to be subdued by miscreants. I think enough is enough not only in the states but even here in Abuja,” he said.

Lagos recounts ordeal

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu on Tuesday gave an account of losses incurred during the #EndSARS protest in the state.

Odumosu at a press conference held at the command headquarters in Ikeja said six policemen were killed while ten civilians lost their lives during the #EndSARS protest.

He also paraded 600 suspected hoodlums arrested during and after the protest at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja, saying 38 policemen from various formations/locations within the metropolis were injured.

According to Odumosu, 58 police vehicles were burnt while 13 were vandalised by the hoodlums, adding that 62 vehicles belonging to individuals and those connected with pending cases were burnt and nine others vandalised.

Odumosu said 15 motorcycles and tricycles were burnt while 65 others were vandalised at different locations in the state.

He also gave details of public facilities that were either burnt or touched.

Among them were the High Court Complex, Igbosere, Lagos Island; Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centres at Broad Street, Lagos Island, Ejigbo LCDA Secretariat, 67 busses at BRT Terminal Iddo, City Hall, Lagos Island, COVID-19 Warehouse at Monkey Village, BRT Terminals at Ojodu and Ikotun, Ajeromi Ifelodun LGA Secretariat, NPA Head Office, Marina, FRSC/VIO Office at Ojodu where only the vehicles parked outside the main buildings within their compounds were burnt.

“Some private facilities and other investments that were partly torched and vandalised/looted included the Oba of Lagos palace, Television Continental Station at Ikosi- Ketu, Access Bank, GTBank and Ebeano Supermarket at Victoria Island, the Nation Newspapers office at Fatai Atere Street, Matori, Mushin, where only vehicles were burnt, Shoprite Malls at Ajah, LTV 8, Alausa, Ikeja, Surulere, Samsung Outlet at Apple Round About, Festac, Shoprite at Festac, Samsung Office Oyingbo, etc. However, some of the looted items from these outlets/offices have been recovered,” he said.