There is palpable fear in Agege, a Lagos suburb, following the mayhem unleashed on parts of the community by members of the Awawa cult gang on Tuesday.
The gang, comprising under-aged boys, had emerged in Agege a few years ago, looting shops, robbing people of cash and valuables and generally visiting terror on residents.
An onslaught the police carried out on the cult group had seen its members going underground only to resurface on December 29 last year to terrorise residents. They were, however, repelled by the police.
Again, in the evening of Tuesday, February 1, members of the gang shockingly reappeared and brazenly engaged in violent attacks on Agege and its environs including Mulero, Oyewole, Orile Agege, Oja Oba and Abule Egba suburbs.
When our correspondent visited Mulero on the Iyana Ipaja axis, residents, shop owners and business operators were still in panic mode over fears of the boys’ possible return.
Although RRS patrol vehicles were seen at strategic points in the communities, a number of the shops were still under lock and key.
Some residents were seen discussing the latest incident in hush tones.
A cross section of residents urged security agents to sustain their surveillance on the area.
A landlord, Seriki Ajao, said: “Although the police have been deployed in this area, we are still living in fear of the mayhem because Awawa Boys are deadly.
“They can return to wreak more havoc if police leave, hence we are urging the police authorities and other security agencies to sustain their presence in the community.”
A mother of three, Janet Amona, explained that people now rush home before time for fear of being caught in possible attacks if the boys reappear in the community.
“The Awawa Boys have been repelled in the past by security agents but they usually return afterwards to continue their nefarious activities.
“Most residents no longer go out at night once they return from work for fear of being attacked by the hoodlums.
“The fear is so palpable that even our children are not allowed to play outside anymore to avoid exposing them to danger, because we still fear that the dangerous cult boys would return.”
A wood seller in the area, who spoke in confidence, described the latest disturbance by the hoodlums as worrisome.
“It is worrisome that small boys would be mindlessly tormenting communities and residents of a state like Lagos.
“You need to see the way they trooped out to attack us on Tuesday. I ran as far as I could and the situation jerked up my blood pressure.
“As I speak, I am still terrified by the trauma of the incident because the boys were armed with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons.
“Most of us who are business operators now open our shops partially to enable us close shops quickly if the boys return.”
Fears in other communities
There was panic in Ile Epo, Oja Oba and Abule Egba suburbs of Lagos when the news spread to the neighbourhoods that members of the dreaded cult were sighted around the communities.
Residents, business operators, and shop owners ran helter-skelter for their dear lives.
Youths in the neighbourhoods manned their streets with blazing machetes and bottles to prevent the gang members from unleashing terror on residents.
At the Ota Road axis of the Ile Epo, some youths were seen wielding machetes at strategic points on the road. Gates leading to several streets were suddenly shut and the streets deserted.
Shop owners around the Agbelekale-Meiran Road were not left out of the pandemonium. Not a few of them sighted by our correspondent said they feared the boys could confront the youths in the area, hence they quickly shut their shops.
A grocery shop operator identified simply as Ifeanyi said: “The boys in this street suddenly trooped out brandishing cutlasses and bottles and we were afraid.
“They said the Awawa Boys had been seen around Ile Epo on their way to this place, hence they decided to protect this area.
“We did not trust that there won’t be bloodshed from possible confrontation with the cult gang, so we have to run for our dear lives in other not to become victims.”
Flashpoints
It was learnt that there are several parts of the local government area under the grip of the hoodlums. The affected areas include Amoo Road, Oke-Koto, Agbotikuyo, Olufunmilayo, Alaagba, Idi Ope, Dopemu, Aluminium Village, Oniwaya, Alfa Nla, Agege Bye Pass, Sango, Alhaja 1 and 2, Isale Oja, Keke, among others.
A number of workers who left their homes in the earlier hours have fallen victim of the gang lately. In the early days of January this year, an unidentified man who was on his way to work in the early hours of the day was accosted by members of the gang around Capitol Road and beaten to a pulp before he was dispossessed of his phone and cash.
“The victim, on sighting the young boys, ran for his dear life. But the boys caught up with him and descended on him with blows until he became weak and slumped while they made away with his phone and cash,” a resident, Yomi Okunade, said.
“The incident happened around 5.45 am while workers were rushing to work. I was at the other side of the road with other passersby, but we couldn’t wait,” he added.
A journalist with a news agency was also said to have fallen victim to the gang and was brutalised by the boys in Agege a few weeks ago.
It was said that the unnamed reporter was returning from work when the boys descended on him and robbed him of his valuables including an undisclosed amount.
Mode of operation
The boys, whose ages range between 12 and 20 years, move around in large numbers with the bizarre marks of teardrop around their chin. The mark, it was gathered symbolises that the boys have no sympathy and are always ready to make their victims shed tears.
Our correspondent also gathered that apart from robbing people, they harass people at social functions and parties for money and relevance, and would even compel organisers of parties to play their favourite song. Failure to carry out their wish would result in violent attack on both the host and guests, bringing such event to an abrupt end.
“The boys move around in large numbers. They gate-crash into parties to dance and cause trouble, and their preferred music is known to most disc jockeys around.
“If they gate-crash into any party or event and the host or organisers refuse to settle them with food and money, both the host and guests will suffer for their indiscretion by being inflicted with severe injuries,” said Kamilu Adisa, a business operator in Dopemu Market.
An intelligence report by the police revealed that they use their teenage girls to target men after which they would dispossess their victims of all their cash and valuables.
A group, Concerned Citizens of Agege, in a statement recently, cried out to state authorities and security agencies to rescue residents from the menace of Awawa Boys.
The statement reads in part: “Nevertheless, we have the menace of Awawa Boys to contend with. They operate in large numbers, at times in daylight, robbing and inflicting injuries on their victims.
“We no longer have a secure and safe society in Agege Local Government.
“We urge the council boss to take concrete measures in tackling the persistent security challenges in Agege Local Government.”
Meanwhile, following Tuesday’s mayhem, no fewer than five suspected members of the gang have been arrested by the police at different parts of Agege and its environs.
The suspects were arrested on Thursday by operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS), a tactical team of the Lagos Police Command.
They were arrested during an all-night raid on the gang’s hideout at Mulero, Orile Agege, Abule Egba, and Agege.
According to the RRS Commander, Olayinka Egbeyemi, the gang suspects were apprehended with the aid of intelligence gathered on the attacks launched on the communities by members of the gang on Tuesday night.
“Early this morning, we arrested five suspected Awawa Boys in an all-night raid in spots believed to be the hideouts of the cult gang in Mulero, Orile Agege, Abule Egba, and Agege.
“The figure excludes three suspected members who were handed over to the divisional police units in those areas on Wednesday.
“Using the intelligence gathered as a result of civil disturbances unleashed in Mulero and part of Iyana Ipaja on Tuesday night.
“Working on the directives of new Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alabi, deployed a convoy patrol to all the affected communities before the night raid on the suspected hideouts of the miscreants,” he said.
“Recovered from one of the suspects were wraps of substances believed to be Indian hemp and ice.”
He added that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as possible, as directed by the Commissioner of Police.
