In the wake of the abduction of a landlord and killing of three security guards in Isheri North Estate GRA, Lagos, on Thursday, some landlords are fleeing their homes, according Saturday PUNCH report.
Some of the landlords had relocated temporarily to hotels and their relatives' houses following the abduction of the secretary of the estate's residents association, Mr. Dayo Adekoya, a resident, Victor Agbadu, who said many of the landlords were currently in panic, confirmed this on Friday.
Agbadu said, "I knew two landlord who had lodged in hotels with their families pending when normalcy would be fully restored to the estate. He said ''Of all the kidnap cases that have occurred in this estate, Thursday's attack has been the most terrible. And there is a lot of panic right now. I did not sleep at home yesterday[Friday] and I won 't return home until the situation is peaceful.''
Some landlords, especially those living in the erea where the man was abducted, have left their homes.'' The source stated that the situation could force owners of buildings under construction to abandon or sell them, while urging the goverment and security agencies to their aid.
Another residents of the estate, Mr. Gbadebo Alani, who said he was away from home when the attack took place, got home the following morning to see his landlord leaving the house.
He said, ''My landlord said he was relocating to his other house in Ibafo. At least, three other landlords that I know have left since the incident. ''I know they would be back soon. But can you blame them If I had somewhere else to relocate to for now, I would have taken my family there.''
According to him, tenants are not expressing the same level of panic as landlords because they have realized that landlords are usually the targets. Many of the landlords our correspondents reached out to for comments promptly declined to talk.
The chairman of the residents' association of the estate, Mr.Remi Osijo,also declined comments, saying only the police Command on Friday arrested the head of security guards at the estate. A reliable source among the estate's guards disclosed to our correspondent that the supervisor, identified simply as Godwin, was apprehended on Friday morning. The source said, Godwin was being quizzed as his movement a few hours before the attack were suspicious.
He said, ''Godwin is a vigilante. He is the head and supervisor of security guard in this estate, on Tuesday, he told us he would travel on Thursday and that he would spend a week. As of 6pm Wednesday, he was still at the estate gate. It was when the incident happened in the night that we discovered he was not around. We called his telephone line, but it was not reachable.
'' This morning he showed up, saying he traveled to Imo State. Residents have handed him over to the police.'' The police spokesperson in the state, DSP Dolapo Badmos, had yet to reply to a text message sent to her telephone line to find out about Goodwin's arrest.
She had earlier said the command was working on intelligence reports to ensure that Adekoya regained freedom soon.
According to report gathered, gunmen, numbering about 11, invaded the estate at about 12:30am on Thursday after five hours of intermittent shooting to scare residents.
Three security guards, Dugbe, Oluyole and Friday aka Frayo, were shot dead by the assailants while two others Ibrahim and Rasaq, sustained gunshot injuries.
They gained access in to Adekoya's apartment through a window cutting through the burglar-proof bars.
The assailants were said to have later contacted Adekoya's wife, demanding N80m ransom.
One of the guard securing the estate said, the assailants always came through the water area at the back of the estate, saying security agents needed to displace them from their hideouts in the creeks.
Meanwhile, Oodua Peoples Congress has put a defence over its inaction against the Niger Delta Militants, suspected to be the brains behind the attack.
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