#EndSARS Violence: Residents Urge Lagos Assembly To Drive Away Miscreants From Agege, Fagba Railway Lines

Residents of Agege, Fagba and other areas of Lagos West Senatorial District have urged the Lagos State Government to send miscreants away from railway line and other parts of the state to avoid a repeat of the aftermath of the #EndSARS Protests that wrecked havoc in the state and all over the country.

Commenting during the 3-day public hearing organised by the Lagos State House of Assembly between Wednesday 18th and Friday 20th November at the assembly premises on Friday, the residents of the senatorial district stated that the violence that led to the loss of lives and properties could have been avoided.

Mrs. Bisi Mohammed from Fagba said that her house got burnt in the inferno and that she didn't have anything to show as evidence, which was why she could not present her cases properly in the form provided by the assembly.

Also speaking, the Iyaloja of Daddy Savage Market, Fagba, Mrs. Oladoyinbo Toyin said that she would like the government to help the marketers as some of them lost their voters cards in the inferno.

Oladoyinbo then requested that the government should remove the shanties around Fagba Area, and that someone was killed around the area by hoodlums the previous day.

Mr. Oluwamayowa Ilori, another resident of Fagba said that they were seriously affected by the violence and that this was due to overpopulation of miscreants in the area. 

Ilori stressed that it was difficult for people to go out early or go back home late in the area without being attacked.

This was corroborated by the Babaloja of Olaitan Market in Fagba, Mr. Ojo Ademuyiwa, who said that there are several hoodlums along the railway line in Fagba and that they used the opportunity to loot the shops in the area and set them on fire.

Mr. Junaid Adekola from Blue Carnival Hotel, Ekoro Road said that the hotel was vandalised and that they took the properties of the hotel, and burnt their cars.

He said that the management of the hotel went to Agbado Oke Odo Local Government secretariat to complain but that nothing was done about the matter.

Mr. Tola Lawal from Ikotun/Idimu LCDA said that the incident affected them much in Idimu Road more than other places. 

Lawal suggested that the forms should be given to the actual people that were effected, and that the incidents happened close to the police stations and local government secretariat.

Another resident of the district, Mrs. Christiana Obasi Nwachukwu said that her husband's two shops were looted, which she said led to his death.

"He was shocked, when he got to the shops and he died at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. Now I don't have the documents the government wanted me to bring and I have five children to cater for," he said.

Alhaja Olabisi Amisu, a resident of Agege area also said that her shop was burnt.

She said that she sells clothes, jewelry and that her cabinet got burnt, adding that the items were worth about N2.9 Million. 

"We want the state government to help us because we don't have anything. Someone came from the executive and someone came from an agency to inspect the burnt shops," she said.

Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of the House Committee that organised the hearing, and the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon.Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni recalled that the House addressed the protesters when the protest started and that they passed far reaching resolutions. 

Eshinlokun-Sanni stated that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila passed resolutions and acknowledged protest as one of the features of democracy. 

"Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu of the state spoke about the issue and went to the president to present the demands of the protesters and they were accepted. 

"SARS was disbanded and the government started the process of police reforms. But hoodlums hijacked the protest and started looting, maiming and started burning assets," he said.

Eshinlokun-Sanni felt said that the lawmakers felt that they could not leave the people to face the losses alone, which he said was why they sent out forms and that they expected the people to let them know about their losses. 

"If you did insurance cover, LASACO is here to assist you. We will do our best to ensure that you are well compensated. 

"We will also make budgetary allocations for money to be paid. We will do our best and assist you in our own way.

We want to perform our duty and identify with you about the incident.

"It is the duty of the government to intervene in such situations. You will soon hear from us about the money we want to give you," he said. 

Eshinlokun-Sanni added that the next thing is compilation and verification of claims, and that their intention was to make sure that compensation are paid to all the affected persons.

While assuring them that they would attend to all genuine residents, he said that the compensation come as early as possible. 

In his speech, Mr. Oluyemi Samson from LASACO Assurance Plc urged the residents that have lost their documents of identification, to get affidavits for loss of identification documents.