The high crime rate in the Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State has put residents in the communities of Akerele and Atobaje in a state of fear.
When our correspondent visited the area on Wednesday, he discovered that the people lived in constant fear of walking down the street, especially at night, due to the presence of vicious-looking louts who were frequently intoxicated or high on hard drugs.
Further information revealed that suspected hoodlums begin committing all kinds of crimes, such as rape, robbery, and break-ins, whenever they are under the influence of drugs.
According to a trader who went by the name Lekan, drug-using youth posed the biggest threat to community peace.
“You will see young girls and boys smoking and making themselves useless,” Lekan warned. When the parents see these kids, they never warn them. It’s very risky how quickly this threat is spreading.
“You will see young girls, ages 18 and younger, using various illicit drugs. These two important areas, Akerele and Atobaje, are inaccessible at night.
He further urged the government to implement fundamental public services like street lighting and robust security in order to lower the rate of social menace in the neighborhood.
Residents find it difficult to move around freely at night due to the threat of suspected hoodlums committing various crimes, including robbery and theft, according to a resident named Abiodun.
“The rate at which the youth in this area use hard drugs in the surroundings is really alarming,” said Abiodun. When people use drugs, they start to do all kinds of criminal things, like rape, fight, and other things.
“Once they get drunk, they start robbing and fighting locals with sharp objects like cutlasses. Some of the local youths have the ability to both do and undo,” she emphasized.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the state police public relations officer, responded when contacted by saying he was not available for comments because he was attending a meeting at the time this report was filed.
