Alapere, Kosofe, Ketu-Mile 12 Identified as Criminal Hotspot

Kehinde Adeleye

The Lagos State Police Command in response to the increasing concerns over crime and insecurity has pledged to enhance patrols and enforcement actions in an effort to eradicate all forms of criminal activity.

The decision comes amidst growing complaints of armed robberies and petty thefts, particularly in areas along the Ketu-Mile 12 route and other parts of the state.

Several robbery hotspots have been identified, including Costain, Mile 12 Underbridge, Ajelogo Road, BRT Station, Okoko, Anthony, Ojota, Ketu Tipper, Alapere, Ikosi, Ile Ile, Kosofe, Irawo, and Blue Roof along Ikorodu Road, among others.

A local trader, who wished to remain anonymous, reported that criminals frequently target the Ketu Junction around 8 pm, often emerging from the nearby Abiola Garden.

“It is true that petty theft, like phone-snatching, happens here, especially at night as people rush to board buses home. The thieves will pretend as if they want to board the bus and remove phones from people’s pockets. They operate like that right from Abiola Garden down to Mile 12. They start operating from 8pm. Some cases happened last week,” she said.

A local Point-of-Sale (POS) operator near the pedestrian bridge at Ketu Junction also spoke on the condition of anonymity, claims to have witnessed two separate robbery incidents in just the past week alone.

“One of the ones I saw happened early last week when a lady cried to my table, saying they had just snatched her phone and I should help her make some calls. Four days later, some women also rushed down from the other side of the road, telling me they had snatched their phones and asking whether I knew how to block a Palmpay account,” the lady stated.

She voiced concerns over the obstacles encountered when attempting to report robbery incidents to the police, as law enforcement officers frequently ask for witnesses that are not readily available. Despite these difficulties, two pepper sellers at Mile 12 Underbridge said there’s a slight reduction in criminal activities lately, while acknowledging that robberies typically take place during nighttime hours.

“In the past, you dared not hold your phone like this, even in broad daylight. But in the last few weeks, we thank God that things have improved, though those boys still come out at night,” one of them told our correspondent.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent on Thursday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the police had noted the complaints and deployed more officers in the identified area.

“We are taking people’s complaints into cognisance. We do use them to review our deployment and strategies, and we have done the needful. There is adequate enforcement on the road, and patrol vehicles are also stationed there, and this has yielded positive results,” Hundeyin said.

Lola Okunrin, an activist, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday to share a personal account of a friend’s unfortunate encounter with armed robbers near the Mile 12 bridge in Lagos. According to the posts, the incident took place around 10 pm.

“This is a call to action. Please save us. Please come to our aid. The robberies between Ketu and Mile 12, down to Blue Roof along Ikorodu Road, are too much. I have witnessed it several times, and this happened to my friend two nights ago,” he posted.

Several netizens also shared recent robbery experiences along the Lagos routes.

Responding, Hundeyin said the police were firmly in control of the area and committed to ensuring the safety and security of residents and visitors to the state.

He said, “We have arrested many individuals (and this continues), prosecuted numerous offenders, and secured indictments and convictions. Unfortunately, new sets of miscreants emerge every day. Many are individuals grappling with unemployment and substance abuse, which complicates the challenge we face.”