Residents of Ondo State, particularly those living in Akure, the state capital have raised the alarm following the sudden increase in armed robbery attacks in recent time.
Major streets of the ancient city are experiencing the escalation of these robbery incidents which has become a source of worry to most residents who are alleging that security agencies are failing in their duties of protecting lives and properties. Communities like Ijapo, Oke-Ogba, Oke-Aro, Aiyedun Quarters, Kajola, Ondo road, new sites and other areas have not been spared from the raids and attacks which started a few months ago and which have been consistent over the past few days.
I gathered that in those areas, houses and shops burgling as well as petty robbery have been on the rise in the last few weeks even as the economic situation of the country worsens.Apart from that, the rate at which the robbers steal vehicles in major streets of Akure in the last two weeks is on the high rate.
It was also gathered that within 24 hours, several vehicles were taken away by the hoodlums across the state capital.A source who do not want his name mentioned told me that vehicle owners packed their cars where they usually packed them, woke up the following morning and they could not find their cars.It was also gathered that a Toyota Camry and another Toyota Camry pencil, Toyota Matrix were stolen while the type of the other car has not been ascertained as of press time.
In the Oke-Ogba axis of the state capital, it was learnt that the two security men engaged by the community allegedly down tool on the night of the incident having demanded the chairman of the landlord association of upward review of their monthly salary. A resident, Mr Akande Akiniyi alleged that the security men were prime suspects.
He said, “ The security guards came to the landlord and suddenly said they were no longer working. The chairman told them that they could not just disengage themselves without giving prior notice of at least one month for the community to get another security guard.
“We were surprised that on Thursday night, they didn’t come to work, leaving the gate to the community open overnight. We only woke up to see that two vehicles from different residences had been stolen. One vehicle had earlier been stolen on Wednesday midnight. This is shocking and devastating.”
Reacting, the police spokesperson, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omilani, said the command is doing everything possible to ensure that crime and criminality are reduced in the state.
