Ikangba/Agoro Communities Robbery Attacks: CDWR Condemns Ogun Police Ineptitude and Seeming Helplessness

We Call on Ogun State Government and Police to Provide Adequate Security for the Communities

For the Setting up of Multi ethnic, Non Sectarian and Multi-Religious Community Defense Committee under the Democratic Control of Community People

The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) Ogun State Chapter, wishes to draw the attention of the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led government and the police authorities, to the heightened insecurity currently plaguing Ikangba/Agoro residents in the Odogbolu Local Government Area of the state. Ikangba/Agoro communities are located along the old Lagos-Benin Road. They are largely agrarian communities, but they had also once hosted many companies in the past, including Adeola Odutola foods and tyres; Sunrise Soft drinks; Gateway Pharmaceuticals; Unique Turkeys; Alphal Paints; Wadah Shoes; Colossus Papers; Aberugba Lace (Novelty Lace) among others, all now moribund! However, both communities, which are now the hub of catfish farming and aquaculture value chains in the state, have been taken over by criminals. The residents now live in perpetual fears, as these criminals have besieged the nooks and crannies of the communities, robbing inhabitants at will both day and nights. These criminal elements ply their nefarious trade unchallenged within the communities. They burgle shops and houses carting away valuables worth millions of naira, and attack individuals with dangerous weapons including guns, through ambush at night when residents are returning home from work, dispossessing them of their belongings including phones, cash, laptop, among others. The CDWR condemns these robbery attacks, and the seeming helplessness and ineptitude of the police authorities and the state government. We call for police increased presence within the communities and urge the residents to form a multi ethnic, multi-religious and non-sectarian community defense committee, under the democratic control of the communities to secure the inhabitants.

For instance, a few weeks ago, a building materials shop at Agoro community was burgled at night, and over 123 slates worth over N5,000,000:00k (five million naira only) were stolen. According to the shop owner, the stolen slates had have been paid for by a customer, who is was supposed to pick them by this month of January, 2026! A house located off Water Corporation Road in the Anfani area of was burgled during daytime, and valuables worth over N10,000,000:00k (ten million naira only) including cash and laptops were taken away. A business centre owner cum POS operator, at Ikangba town, was ambushed outside his residence in Harmony Estate while returning from the shop, beaten and had both hands and legs tied together, his mouth stuffed with leaves to prevent him from shouting and calling for help, while they wielded dangerous weapons. They dispossessed him of a sum N600,000:00k (six hundred thousand naira only) and a laptop. These asides, countless of cases burglaries of shops whose wares worth thousands of naira have also been reportedly stolen. Sadly, the Obalende Divisional Police Station, Ijebu Ode, whose officers mount road blocks every morning and evening extorting and harassing motorists to and fro along these communities, especially the motorcycle and tricycles riders, is located less than two (2) kilometers away from these communities! These robbery cases have been reported at these same police station countless times, where victims made to write numerous statements. Yet, nothing has come from these reported cases. The police authorities at the Obalende Divisional Police Station, for all intents and purposes seem incapable. Their usual singsongs and refrain have become: “We shall investigate, make arrest and charge the suspects”! Yet residents continue to suffer increased robbery attacks from these seemingly ‘invisible’ criminals.

The CDWR demands for proper investigations into these cases that would lead to arrests of these criminals and their subsequent prosecution and conviction in the law courts, so as to serve as deterrents to other criminally minded individuals. We call on the residents of Ikangba/Agoro to organize themselves and a series of mass actions including town hall meetings, press conferences and peaceful protests to mount pressure on both the Police and Ogun State Government to fulfil their obligation and provide adequate security for the communities. This should also include a call for government support for the setting up of community defense committee, that is multi-religious, non-partisan and multi ethnic, under the democratic control of the communities.

The heightened robbery attacks in Ikangba/Agoro communities are not isolated cases, they are the lived daily experiences of most residents within many communities and towns across Ogun state, including Ijebu Ode, especially those areas inhabited by workers and poor majority, who can’t afford to pay for police escorts, and live in posh and highbrow housing estates with perimeter fencing and topnotch security presence.

We are of the opinion that these increased robbery incidents across Ogun state, are not unconnected with the present worsening economic hardships and high costs of living crisis, occasioned by the implementations of IMF/World Bank proscribed anti poor pro-rich neo liberal capitalist policies by governments across all levels especially the removal of fuel subsidy, devaluation of the naira, increased electricity tariffs, increased in taxes and levies, hike in school fees, skyrocketing house rents amongst others. All these anti-poor capitalist policies have meant that, youths especially those from poor working-class background, who are currently unemployed, are going into crime to make ends meet. It is this atmosphere of poverty, misery and wants that have given room essentially to the heightened insecurity plaguing communities across Ogun state.

Therefore, in addition to the urgent need for improved security measures to protect lives and property, to begin to resolve the insecurity on a permanent basis, the social conditions that make it possible has to be addressed. This is why we of the CDWR support the building of a nationwide mass movement including trade unions, community associations, youth groups and pro-masses organisations to consistently resist all anti-poor policies of the government at all levels. Such a movement is also expected to build a mass working people’s party on a socialist program to wrest political power and begin to reconstruct the economy and governance so as to use the huge human and material resources of the country for the benefits of all, not the greed of a few as presently obtain.

Eko John Nicholas

Coordinator

Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR), Ogun state chapter.

E-mail: [email protected]