Two Suspected Criminals Caught in Oke Ota-Ona as Community Awaits Police Intervention
By Emmanuel Daniji
Residents of Oke Ota-Ona, Ikorodu, were thrown into confusion on Tuesday morning after two suspected criminals were apprehended near the Technical College area—yet remained stranded for hours as security agencies failed to take custody of them.
According to eyewitnesses, the first suspect, identified as a Hausa man, was allegedly caught attempting to cut an electricity cable. The second suspect, a Yoruba man, reportedly snatched a woman’s bag and tried to stab her while attempting to escape.
The suspects were subdued by residents, who immediately contacted the Police to come and whisk them away. However, the situation took a complicated turn when officers allegedly insisted that the community must “treat the suspects’ injuries” before they could be picked up.
With the matter dragging dangerously, the LNSC boss was contacted. He subsequently deployed operatives to maintain law and order—yet even with the presence of the Lagos Neighborhood Safety Corps, neither the Police nor any other agency stepped forward to take charge.
As the suspects remained on the ground for more than four to five hours, tension grew among residents. Some worried that keeping the suspects in the community posed a serious risk, while others expressed frustration at what they described as a recurring failure of law enforcement responsiveness.
Amid the confusion, residents began offering their own suggestions. Elder Olabode, one of the community leaders present, advised that the injuries be treated, after which the suspects should be handed over to their respective community heads—arguing that if handed to the Police, the matter might simply “become a livelihood for them.”
Another resident, Damilola Hershel, suggested a more formal approach—treat the suspects first and then call Amotekun if the Police continued to delay.
At the time of filing this report, the community remained in a dilemma: the LNSC would not take the suspects away, the Vigilante Group declined involvement, and the Police had yet to show up—raising pressing concerns about security response protocols and what happens when communities are left to manage dangerous situations alone.
