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Lagos Residents Lament Incessant Robberies By ‘Omo Kesari’ Gang, Urge Sanwo-Olu To Intervene

July 18, 2019

They attacked my dad between the hours of 5 am and 6 am on Monday, they cut him with axe and cutlass on the chest, his left arm, and on his head while they tried to rob him of his mobile phone

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Members of ‘Omo Kesari’, a gang in the Isheri area of Lagos State, attacked residents of Ikotun and Igando areas of Lagos on Wednesday night, leaving many injured as they robbed residents and motorists.

The group has been terrorizing residents of Pipeline, Isheri, Idimu, Council, Carwash, Ikotun, and Igando areas of Lagos for a while.

Residents of these communities told SaharaReporters that they had been living in fear for a long time.

They called on the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to intervene in the situation.

The Omo Kesari group, which comprises teenagers, are known for perpetrating crime in traffic where they destroy people’s cars, steal phones and maim people.

A resident who spoke with SaharaReporters on the condition of anonymity said, “I don’t know much, but all I know is that there are some teenagers who rob people with axes, cutlasses, and knives.

“They are always many of them on bikes, and they operate mostly at night around 9 pm and 11 pm, and early in the morning, around 4 am and 6 am. I have heard of many (attacks) that happened a few weeks back around Carwash, Idimu and Isheri axis.

“Of recent, they’ve been attacking people in the area. For at least three weeks now, I’ve been hearing news of them attacking people and robbing them of their mobile phones."

Another resident, who does not want his name mentioned, said his father was wounded and almost got robbed on July 15, 2019, around Pipeline in Isheri area of Lagos.

He said, “They attacked my dad between the hours of 5 am and 6 am on Monday, they cut him with axe and cutlass on the chest, his left arm, and on his head while they tried to rob him of his mobile phone. The three guys who were on a bike attacked him from behind with an axe but we’re glad he managed to escape.

“The bandits are teenagers around the ages of 14 and 18, and their leader whose name is Kesari would be around ages 18 and 20. They are known as “Omo Kesari”, and people also call them “One Million Boys”.

“When they attack people, they don’t ask for money. They’ll only collect your phone and ask you if the SIM card in the phone is registered with your bank account, and if the SIM card is registered with your bank, they would take the phone and transfer all the money in your account,” another resident told SaharaReporters.

Another resident said, “Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) are now in the area. The Isheri monarch has also warned everyone to stay indoors from 7 pm.”

Lagosians have called on the state government to find a quick solution to the menace as they no longer feel safe walking on the streets of Lagos.

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CRIME Police