They claimed that the hoodlums have been terrorising them since January, adding that the attacks have escalated to daily affair.
The Nation gathered that most tenants have packed out of the street for fear of falling victim to armed gangs that allegedly assault their victims.
The mass exodus of tenants from the area, it was learnt was sequel to the attack on an octogenarian pastor, Joseph Akinduro, whose wife has been down with stroke.
The duo who are popularly called grandpa and grandma were robbed in the wee hours of February 11.
It was learnt that a gang of 10, who usually wore red trousers, black shirts, waist charm and masks stormed the octogenarian’s 60, Arobadade Street residence at about 2:45am and forced them to part with about N100,000 they had on them.
Reliving the experience, Pastor Akinduro told The Nation that he was shocked to find the robbers inside his house, on his corridor when he opened his room.
He said: “It was around 2:45am when my son’s wife (Abiola) called me from her apartment that robbers were in the compound. I was still answering her call, confirming from her if she did not have a nightmare, when I opened my door and saw the robbers on my corridor.
“Immediately, one of them came close to me and said grandpa, corporate with us. We want our money. Give us our money. We heard you brought money from someone.
“I was wondering what he meant by that and he brought out a gun and said that they are only interested in collecting money. They collected my wallet which had over N40,000.
“As he was emptying the wallet, he said ‘this is not our money. This is small money. Grandpa, bring the money out. They started ransacking the house and they saw another N50,000. They collected my phone, my wristwatch and that of my wife. They ransacked the bag I usually go to church with and they carried it.
“They scattered everywhere but they told my wife that she should not worry, that they won’t hurt her. They now turn me to breathe gently, that I should not breath fast and that I should lie down very well because they are still around.
“When they left, I was still lying down but I heard them trying to open the building in front of my house. By that time, the street security people started blowing whistles and they escaped through my backyard and scaled the fence,” he said.
Meanwhile, the criminals who first attacked Abiola carted away about N50,000 cash and also took the shoe polish they saw in her apartment.
Two weeks before they visited the Akinduros, The Nation gathered that the hoodlums raided a mosque on the street, unleashing terror on the occupants of the building behind the mosque.
The hoodlums, it was gathered, usually brought a commercial bus where they pack all their loots, including generators, laptops, clothes and shoes.
Our correspondent gathered that the worst attack was that of Iya Mosun’s house, where three persons identified as Kayode Anthony, Monday and Emeka were injured.
They also carted away N240,000 from Anthony, collected his three phones and flat screen television.
Recounting his ordeal, Anthony said they cut him three times with cutlass on his head.
“I am alive today because God saved me. They used cutlass to cut my head on three different places. They raided all 10 rooms here. They also cut Monday’s hand with cutlass.
“When I noticed that they had broken into my sitting room, I tried to lock the room door with my family inside but they were struggling with me. Eventually, they cut a part of the door open and came in. That was when they used the cutlasses on my head.
“It was about five people that entered my house. They collected N240,000 that was in the house. Took our flat screen television. Collected my three phones and my son’s phone too. They left me to die.
“But thankfully, when I was rushed to the hospital, they were able to save me. We have not been sleeping in this area. They have made life unbeatable for us. People now fear to sleep at night. Some people have even packed out of the streets.
“Before February 11 that they came last, there was hardly a day they won’t attack. It is very troubling and we want the government to help us out,” he said.
The street’s chairman, Pastor John Adewumi, did not hide his frustration and bitterness on the incessant robbery, just as he appealed to the police to assist them in fishing out the culprits.
“We know that there must be insiders among them. Because the way these guys operate, they strike around 2:00am and 3:00am. They never follow any of the gates because we have street security, so, they exit through the canal or other routes that cannot be known by non residents,” Adewunmi stated.
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