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• Yar'Adua opens Abuja CTO2008 Summit
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• Let's strengthen Yoruba unity, Daniel tells leaders 
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• LG boss bags Award
• Widow, 70, escapes ritualist attack 
• Experts advocate Tax concession for entrepreneurs
• Govt raises panel to probe Agencies
• Election Petition Tribunal:Idris opens defence  
• Ikuru advocates greater unity in N/ Delta
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• Igbo leader gets Lamido's backing
• Group picks three ministerial nominees for N/Delta
• Amaechi commends JTF on peace
• NGOs move against Almajiris, destitutes
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• Nyako romances lawmakers
• Shun bad habits,influence, Lady Ohakim charges kids

Relating Stories

• Patriotism:A national call to duty
• EFCC now a robust institution —FG
• Lagos community panics as OPC withdraws services
• Group petitions ICJ over Henry Okah

Lagos community panics as OPC withdraws services

By EMMANUEL UDOM

RESIDENTS of Bucknor community in Ejibgo area of Lagos may soon be in for a big trouble following the purported threat by some members of the dreaded Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), who were hired to check-mate activities of criminals in the area to down tool over non-payment of security allowances and lack of operational tools.

National Daily gathered from some residents of the community that penultimate Saturday was a turbulent one for most of them as some persons suspected to be armed robbers invaded the community at night, when some OPC members on hired security duties temporarily suspended their services.

According to Babatunde Ismail, a resident of Bucknor, the suspected criminals for hours terrorized people and succeeded in carting away money, phones and other valuable items from some residents in the community.
The incident would have been averted if members of the OPC men, who were hired for security purposes were provided with the tools they requested for in order to assist them effectively in tackling the menace of incessant robbery incidents in the community, he said

The views of Babatunde were equally supported by a provisions trader whose shop is situated along Isheri-Oshun road in Bucknor. The trader, who simply gave her name as Madam Uche told National Daily that she was informed by her husband that the threat to down tool notice letter issued by one Mr Ubaru, the co-coordinator of OPC security network in the community was read out to members of the community development association during the Saturday monthly environmental exercise.

She stated that the OPC in the letter requested that a dane gun, some cutlasses, torch lights and other security tools should immediately be provided by members of the local community development association as failure to provide the tools would possibly result in an upsurge in armed robbery cases in the area, our reporter further gathered.
However a police source at Ejigbo police station, insisted that the alleged threat by some members of OPC security network to create a porous situation for criminals to strike in the area was uncalled for.

The police officer explained that as far as the police concerned, OPC was an illegal group, which activities were not recognized officially by the government as well as the security agencies. “As far as I am concerned, the police especially in Ejigbo as well as other parts of the state, is capable of providing security for Lagosians during this ember period, he said

He said that some communities in Lagos who relied more on the ethnic militia group for their security, were dealing with illegal outfit, which membership was questionable.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer: Mr. Frank Mba; a Superintendent of Police seemed to have agreed with his colleague at Ejigbo police station as he insisted that there were enough police officers on ground to provide security for persons in Lagos throughout these ember months and beyond.